


Rebuilding Memories

by KittehFran



Series: Rebuilding Memories [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Fluff, Shameless Smut, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2019-10-14 03:37:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 103,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17500799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittehFran/pseuds/KittehFran
Summary: Just after the Calamity Zelda and Link travel through the Domains and try to eliminate the last of Ganon.On top of all of that Link is trying to rediscover other memories and his feelings towards Zelda





	1. Dreamless Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> my second fic
> 
> Quite different from my first (which I am still writing!!) 
> 
> This one is done just after the calamity (after they have travelled to the Zora Domain) 
> 
> Zelda still has her powers and the Divine Beasts are still around doing stuff (with intermittent problems) 
> 
> Its a sllllooooow burn. But they will be burn. 
> 
> There will also be smut - at the moment I have just put it down as 'mature' but when it changes I will put that in the chapter notes. 
> 
> I have not decided how many chapters there will be. But there will be many. I am definitely not good at writing short things. Have started with 15 to start.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decided to rewrite alot of this - same content - just written (hopefully) in a better way.

You know” Zelda spoke staring at her Sheikah shake “when we get to the Gerudo Desert - I was thinking about asking Riju to become the Champion of Vah Noboris” She looked behind her but Link said nothing. Zelda gave out a deep sigh and looked forward again. He had barely said anything all day – why would he now. 

It hadn’t been long since they ended the Calamity. They had already spent a few months with the Zora repairing Vah Ruta – and Zelda had spent a lot of the time dealing with King Dorephan, discussing the future of the Kingdom.

Prince Sidon had, of course, been declared the new Champion of Vah Ruta.

Whilst they were in the domain Link had become more and more distant. The Zora were of course the only people who remembered him from 100 years ago. Every time somebody mentioned Mipha, Zelda would see Link stiffen up. 

They seemed to constantly remind him about how she had sacrificed herself for them. How she had loved Link. That particular word, love, made Zelda feel slightly envious. Maybe he did love her and maybe he could remember that.

He had been given the armour by King Dorephan and Zelda knew that there was love there from Mipha. It was certainly more than just an infatuation.  
Maybe he would have married her then. She knew that his life span would have have barely been a blink of an eye to her. Another reason she knew that he loved her so much. As that it didn’t matter to her. 

But similarly – Link also looked the most comfortable in that domain. He had spent a lot of time in there – usually with Mipha.   
She would always tell Zelda about the memories that she had with Link – usually embarrassing ones, much to Zelda’s delight.

When Link was there he would always roll his eyes at both of them. Likely feeling awkward about what she was saying.  
He had lived not far from the Zora domain. But she still felt guilty she could not tell him much about his parents. For that matter, she couldn’t even tell him his birthday. 

“Link – what do you think?” she bought herself back into the present and turned to him, but there was nothing. Just that far off look she had seen in him since so much since he awoke from the shrine.

“It would be nice if you could voice your opinion sometimes…”  
“Yes”  
Zelda was startled at this and it took a while for her to find her words. Link cocked his head “About Riju”  
“Oh” Zelda cleared her throat and then muttered “thank you” before looking back to her slate.

Link nodded and then continued to follow her with Epona, slowly trudging through the grasslands. 

Zelda could tell it was starting to become dark and she placed her slate onto her belt. “Maybe… we should find somewhere to camp” she looked back to Link who nodded in silence, moving away to find somewhere to set up.

The deep sigh she gave out was that of frustration. 

Why could he not remember anything. The difficulty of being with him was becoming more and more apparent. 

Before they had left for the Zora domain from the castle he seemed to be at least slightly more talkative. But now he remained silent almost all of the time. Maybe people talking about Mipha repeatedly had gotten to him. 

As Link dismounted his horse she knew he had found somewhere to camp. She watched him as he set up, still mounted on Artax.

The accuracy and precision with which he got everything ready always astounded her. The cots, the blankets, the fire wood. Before she had tried to help him but he always refused. Telling her that he needed to do it the way he always had. His diligence was always astounding to her.

As he was pulling out one of the blankets he saw her looking at him and he furrowed his brow. Waiting for some sort of explanation of why he was staring at her. 

“You used to be like this. Before, I mean. Very… meticulous” Unable to look at him she dismounted her horse and then started to pull one of the blankets off the saddle bag. Link was beside her in seconds and placed his hand over hers. They both looked at each other for a little while – Zelda felt the butterflies in her stomach again. She wondered if he felt the same when he looked at her.

“I like doing it myself” he released her hand and Zelda stepped backwards with a deep sigh, sitting on one of the overturned logs.

“Do you not get annoyed with this…?” Link muttered as he started to prepare the tent.   
Securing the ropes on the pegs, pulling it tight.

Zelda frowned   
“what do you mean?” the confusion was apparent in her voice - what was he talking about?

“I mean telling me what I was like before” again he refused to look at her, busying himself with setting up the camp. 

“  
“Why… why would you think that?” she sounded worried. She would never in her wildest dreams would think that. But Link just shrugged, unable to or maybe not willing to explain that thought.

Again she gave out a deep sigh.   
“You know…” Zeldas voice was quiet as she looked at him. He was entirely preoccupied with preparing the fire – setting up the kindling and the firewood. But she knew he was listening – his ears twitched whenever he did.

“We used to be a lot closer than this...” Her glance was fixed on Link – waiting for some sort of response.   
Instead, Link tightened his lips and pulled out the flint from his pocket, trying to strike a spark in the fire. She knew that he was trying to ignore her - not for malicious reasons. It was just that he didn't seem to be able to cope with those thoughts. 

“When I asked you before… if you remembered me, on that hillside” she could see Link stiffening up and he started to look uncomfortable. But still, she continued “I didn’t realise that. I mean… I don’t know…”

Now her glance was fixed downwards.   
But to her surprise Link broke the silence   
"What?"

 

"I..." she was trying to somehow voice all of the thoughts she was having and was struggling “I thought you would remember the emotion. How we felt about each other”  
It was the first time she had been able to bring this up with him. However now she worried about the effect it would have on Link. She gripped the log underneath her, causing splinters to dig into her skin. 

Link sighed deeply, putting his head down once more and he started to strike the flint.  
“The memories I have are all just… they’re just there.”   
The first spark lit the fire but then extinguished so he tried again “I’m still not sure how I feel about them." 

Again, another shrug. One of the things that Zelda had noticed he seemed to use a lot - sometimes due to annoyance, frustration, regret but usually disappointment   
"And I’ve been looking at them for nearly a year now…” his voice remained quiet. 

Zelda put her elbows on her knees, holding her face. Although she had known him for over 100 years – he had only known her for a few months.

Before then he had spent a lot of time alone – trying to find her. It was probably normal for him to feel this way. But it still hurt her.

“What do you want to eat?” Link placed the flint back into his satchel after he had got the fire to light. He was still blowing on it intermittently, encouraging it to grow.  
“Fish…” her thoughts were still on what she had said but Link seemed oblivious to how much this all impacted her. He remained silent as he went to find a pot once he was sure the fire had grown enough. 

“Do you want to ask me anything?” over the last few days it had become a habit for Zelda to ask him if there was anything he wanted to know about before.  
Her guilt at discovering that really, she knew so little about him made her wince every time he asked.   
But still - there were questions that he asked that she seemed to have some answers to. 

“So…?” Zelda asked again and Link gave out a deep sigh. She had a suspicion that he already knew the answer.

“Can you tell me about my mother…?” his glance briefly darted to her.   
Zelda's heart plummeted. She opened her mouth - wanting to say something of significance.   
But she had never even met his mother. 

The guilt that settled in her stomach made her feel nauseous and she looked downwards, ashamed again that she really knew so little about him.

Really all she knew about him was that his father was a soldier – as was his grandfather. Everything else about him was almost unknown to her. She knew about their memories together but nothing else.

Of course, Link would have known about her family - it must have been something that was drilled into him in the Royal Guard. He would certainly have known about the Family Tree of the Hyrule Monarchs.

But for him, she had nothing. She gripped the log a little tighter “No. I’m sorry…”

Instead of reacting Link just shrugged his shoulders.   
Likely this was a sign of disappointment. Or maybe frustration.  
“That’s okay”

Zelda knew quite well that it was not okay. She should know more than what she did. All she had been occupied with was her finding that power – there had been no talk of him at all.

She looked up as Link placed the fish into the hot pan – it sizzled gently and the sound of the food cooking was all they heard for a while.

“do you have dreams?” The thought came to her mind and before she could stop herself she had already voiced it. She had wanted to ask him that for a while as she wondered how he would have dreams? He had no memories of before - so what would he even dream of?

“No” Link spoke with a completely emotionless tone. But then he looked up “Should I?”

Her heart raced as he said that and she so wanted to just go and hug him. But from previous experience on the hill where they had first seen each other. It would seem for the time being he was not one for embraces. 

“No…” she murmured, looking to the floor again "I suppose not"

“But I think you do” Link was staring at the fish, poking the embers intermittently causing them to crumble.   
“You shout in the night and when I go to see you, you are always breathless and sweating.” 

Zelda's heart was beating fast and as Link looked up he frowned. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything” 

“No. No, it’s fine.” She tried to get her act together again and cleared her throat “Yes, I do have dreams.” 

Of course, all of her dreams were about fighting Ganon. They had always been since the Calamity. The violence and the intensity of them should have made her realise they would manifest themselves on the outside. 

Link waited a little while and then looked back to the fish, taking it out of the pan. It would seem he knew better than to ask any more about that. 

And Zelda wouldn't have wanted to tell him.

It was obvious he felt bad about remembering so little about them – and to then tell him it was the calamity that had caused all of this, would not make him feel any better.

Her gaze wondered to the golden tri-force on her hand. She had not used the powers since the Calamity had been defeated – but it was still there. She wondered why.

“How hungry are you?” Zelda flinched at the question, but then gave him a small smile

“Only a little bit please…”

\---

Link was sitting on the rocky outcrop where they had been sitting before. He was eating some of the cold fish – occasionally still poking the fire to keep it going. He wanted to make sure she didn’t get cold. Zelda was in her cot – just on the other side of the fire. 

His mind wondered to what he had asked her before. Should he be having dreams? No one had ever asked him that before. He knew what they were – people had told him about them.

Usually, people dreamed about flying. Or food. Or a lover. He had never entirely understood what dreams meant. But he assumed it was a fantasy of some sort. 

Yet another thing that seemed to make him different from others. But being over 100 years old would probably do it anyway.

He peeled another piece of fish off the bone. Zelda had really not eaten a lot and he noticed she looked pale. It had been his idea for her to go to bed early and she complied much to his surprise. She was usually so stubborn.

The only sleep he needed was a few hours a week. Maybe this was something that he had learned in the past – maybe it was just some sort of side effect from the shrine. He would likely never know. Really, he didn’t care anyway. It certainly made protecting her easier.

Once again, his gaze fell onto Zelda. She looked incredibly peaceful. The thought of why he had come for her came into his mind again. Clearly, Impa had been persuasive in making him go to find her – well, not persuasive. More insistent. 

But there was something deep within him that made him want to find her. 

He wondered if it was an implicit sense of duty. Or whether it was the fact that Zelda knew him so well.   
In any case when he did find her they were almost completely silent around each other. 

After he had awoken he had been quite talkative - certainly, the Zora had commented on it.   
But since he had been with Zelda, he seemed to close up.  
He just assumed that is what he had been with her before and he wanted to emulate that. 

But from the different suggestions, she seemed to be making – maybe that was not how it was.  
As he stood his stretched causing his spine to crack and then he rolled his shoulders. 

With hesitation he walked over to her, kneeling beside her.  
He knew there must be something about her that made him want to be with her. But he couldn’t decipher it. All he knew was that he got a warm sensation when looking at her. Not quite butterflies – but something none the less.

There was a moment where he wanted to brush a piece of hair out of her face but he stopped before he had even moved. What was in role in all of this anyway?

He wasn’t sure. But he knew that he had to be with her. 

He knew, that she was all the reasons he needed to be.   
Maybe at some point – he would know what they were.


	2. Just say Thank You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link gets into a battle - but it would appear not without Zelda's help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... so... don't know what to say about this one

Zelda was staring at her Sheikah slate, not looking where she was going.   
When Link had given her the Sheikah slate she had been so disappointed that the entire encyclopedia of what she had photographed seemed to have been erased. But when he told her that he had managed to at least gather a few of the pictures and plants that she needed her eyes lit up. 

That had made him smile – he had never seen her do that and there was something in him that made him feel incredibly contented with what he had   
At that time she had also noticed the runs in the slate had been significantly enhanced. He told her it was Purah that did it all – he didn’t tell her about the multiple gears and screws he needed to find to make it happen. 

Link was behind her, following her, looking out for anything that he needed to steer her away from, like trees or rocks. There were a number of things he hadn’t been able to take pictures of – and generally, these were the smaller things, like squirrels or small birds.

They had left their horses at the bottom of the slope. They were grazing and were happy for the rest. Before they left Link had taken off his bow and shield from Epona’s saddle, placing them onto his back whilst tightening his Master Sword.   
Zelda was not even paying attention and had already started to explore. He needed to run a small distance to catch up with her. 

Suddenly Zelda took in a deep breath in surprise and Link switched straight into battle mode, sweeping the area for any danger. But Zelda grabbed his tunic, pulling him down “It’s okay” Link relaxed slightly, but was still intrigued by what she had found. 

“Look” Zelda pointed at a small bird – frolicking in the sand. Link could just about make out the blue colouring of it but it was difficult with the dust.  
“These are very rare” she was still whispering and had to contain her excitement. Very slowly she moved the Sheikah slate up, waiting for the perfect moment.   
The small noise made the bird perk up before flying away.

She turned around and saw Link, still with a small smile on his lips “You are smiling!” she sounded surprised.   
Link cocked his head “and?” both of them looked at each other. It seemed Zelda wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that question.   
“It’s just… you don’t do that much” she was sitting on her heels. Link was looking into her eyes – trying to find a more meaningful response but all he saw was sadness. He then stood, holding out his hand to hers so she could also stand. 

She exhaled and stood up with his help, brushing down her trousers from the dust.  
He continued to look at her, waiting for something. But she just continued her path up the hill, not looking at him.   
Link trailed after her again, shadowing her at a distance. But still close enough to be there if anything happened.   
She was again looking at her slate, flipping through the pictures. “We only have a few more plants and animals to photograph here. Then we can continue” 

Link’s ears twitched – he could hear something.  
Zelda had turned around, as he had stopped, and saw him “Link?” she frowned a little, looking up from her slate.  
Link then recognised the noise. He ran forward, grabbing her and pulling her to one side, both of them falling onto the ground.  
Some boulders rumbled towards them, avoiding them by a maybe half a meter.  
Zelda squeezed her eyes shut. 

After a few minutes they had stopped. Link waited for a little while, still over Zelda, bracing himself on one arm.  
He looked to her and noticed the change in her behaviour. She became slightly rigid underneath him and avoided his gaze. There was a slight blush to her cheeks.  
He furrowed his brow slightly, trying to work out what she was thinking, but then he stood – again reaching for her hand to help her to stand. “thank you” she whispered with a slightly hoarse voice, and she cleared her throat. Link nodded slowly, still wondering what she was thinking.

Zelda suddenly gripped her hand in pain and Link went to grab his sword instinctively. He looked at her looked to her palm and noticed the tri-force glowing with a gold, luminous light – it was a sign there was something else nearby. 

Link pushed the sword back into the scabbard and instead pulled out his bow “Wait here…”   
“Link, I can-“ He interrupted her, staring at her   
“I’ve got it”. He was her protector and he didn’t want her to get hurt by doing irrational things.   
Link peered behind the rock and saw what it was. A few Bokoblins, two Lizalfos and a Moblin. They had likely caused the boulders to drop down but it didn’t look like they had seen them yet.

He breathed out a sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders. At least there wasn’t a Lynel.   
He knelt down, removing an arrow from his quiver. He was still leaning against the rock, notching the arrow onto the string. He took a big exhale and then moved over to one of the trees – firing an arrow and hitting the Bokoblin straight in the head.   
There was a small noise and then he fell forward – dark blood oozed out of the wound before he disappeared into a puff of black smoke.  
The other creatures started to look around, alarmed by what had happened. One of the other Bokoblins went to find a club- grabbing it and gazing around. 

Link was still pressed up against the tree, waiting for them to stop looking. He was always astounded by the fact that they would stop looking for danger, even if one of them had been killed. He would have thought they would have realised they were under attack.   
Zelda was glaring at him and pouting, Link could see it out of the corner of his eye. He ignored her – this is why he was here and he would not let her interfere.

Once the Bokoblins started to settle, they moved back towards the massive hunk of meet they were cooking – jumping up and down happily.   
Link notched another arrow and then moved out from the tree – striding towards the creatures – firing arrows as he did. Every time he fired, he hit another Bokoblin in the chest, causing them to fall and them to disappear in a cloud of black smoke. 

It took a little while for the creatures to find out where the shooting was coming from, but as soon as they did, they started to move towards him– one of them was also shooting arrows from a small, wooden bow. Link dodged them with ease.   
He placed his bow on his back and pulled his Master Sword.

He was still striding towards them before moving into a sprint. The Creatures were surprised by this, and two of them started to move backwards in retreat.   
He jumped up, moving around beheading one of the Bokoblins and barging the other with his shoulder before moving forward and plunging his sword into his chest. After the Bokoblins fell, dark blood seeped out of them before they disappeared into clouds of smoke.   
He now turned around facing the Lizalfos – now he was closer he noted the silver scales which surprised him. It had been a while since he had seen one of those.

The Lizalfos went to plunge his spear into him, but Link jumped up, avoiding the spear by a few centimeters. He turned around and hit the Lizalfos in the back, causing it to stumble forward.   
He went back into a defensive position, holding his sword outwards and balancing himself with his hand. He didn’t wait for long and kicked the Lizalfos in the back, causing him to fall – he then rammed his blade into its back causing him to squeal and then disappear in black smoke.  
Link had barely broken a sweat – he paused for a while, listening for the sounds around him and turned as the Lizalfos charged towards him with its sword. He blocked the sword immediately, pushing it to one side.

Without hesitation he went back into attack, jumping upwards and swinging his sword downwards – the skull cracked with the force of the impact and then it split in two. Blood trickled out of the wound and then it disappeared in a puff of smoke.  
He then perked up, hearing the last creature coming towards him. There was a Moblin shrieking, storming towards him, crashing his spiked club into the ground.

He did a backflip, avoiding the crushing of the club and then stormed forward slashing the Moblin with his sword. The Moblin squeeled as he hit him and then he fell forward. Link turned to him, glaring at it. It was now becoming more enraged, grabbing his club, turning towards him and trying to hit him repeatedly. 

Link jumped backwards every time he tried to hit him and then, he heard it.   
He knew what it was immediately.   
He cursed under his breath. He shouldn’t have even thought about it at the beginning of the battle. 

\--------

Zelda was becoming more and more frustrated with her not being able to help. She had a small dagger with her, but nothing else of use. She did look to the slate and was trying to use magnesis on the camp, but none of the boxes were metal. She swore under her breath.  
She wanted to use her power – she could still feel it burning in her hand but there was no evidence of it bursting through, as it had done before.   
The silver Moblin was struck repeatedly by Link’s sword before it turned and tried to hit him repeatedly with his Club – Link had not even broken a sweat. 

Then she heard it as well. A Lynel. “Link!!” she shouted in case he hadn’t heard it “I know!” he shouted with a gruff voice as he was still trying to avoid the attack from the Moblin.  
With one movement he lunged forward and beheaded it.   
Link now turned around, he had pulled off his shield this time as well, and went into a defensive position. 

Then the Lynel appeared. It, again, was Silver. Link knew he had not had to face one of these since before he had rescued Zelda.  
He cursed under his breath again - this was NOT what he had been expecting when he took Zelda out to take pictures of the wildlife.   
He braced himself waiting for the Lynel to charge – and he did not disappoint. As he did Link jumped upwards and he tried to slash him with his sword. But the Lynel moved its hand outwards, flinging him to one side before he could hit him.

He hit his head on a rock and noted a warm sensation which started to trickle down his back- He knew it was blood. He was incensed by this and jumped up from his back onto his feet so he could run forward, once again jumping up, blocking the Lynel’s hand with his shield before swinging his blade into it. There was an almighty, blood curdling scream which came from the Lynel. 

Link had just gotten back onto his feet and it started to charge at him again. He didn’t have long to prepare and held his shield out – the Lynel was hit by an invisible force and it braced himself on his hoofs– giving Link a few seconds to gather himself.   
He was becoming slightly breathless and as he moved backwards into a defensive position, he saw the Lynel charge at him again. He held up his shield, bracing himself for the attack.

But before it came there was a gold light that blinded him and it caused his feet to come off the ground, throwing him backwards.   
The Lynel in front of him screamed once more and dissolved into black smoke. Link was sitting on the floor – looking breathless and slightly confused. For a moment he paused and then clambered up, putting his shield on his back.   
Then Zelda ran towards him – she embraced him and he staggered backwards, not expecting it ”Thank goodness you’re okay”   
Link still had his sword in his hand and looked down to her. After a small while he spoke “I could have done it myself.” She glanced up to him, looking perplexed “What?” he pushed her gently to one side “I could have done it myself” he sheathed his sword.   
She watched him whilst he left to gather any items that the creatures had left behind. She then started to look angry “Why are you like this?” she put her hands on her hips. Link didn’t speak – he gathered one of the horns from the Bokoblins. “You don’t speak to me and when I go to help you, you can’t even say thank you” 

He didn’t respond and once he had collected what he needed he looked to her. She looked furious and Link was initially taken aback by it. But he gathered himself quickly.  
“I could have done it myself. I should have done it myself. This is why I am here” he spoke with no emotion. _‘otherwise, why am I here’_ he did not voice that thought. 

Zelda huffed and then walked away from him. He sighed. When she embraced him he felt it. He wasn’t sure what it was but it made him feel content– and his response, obviously, was to push it away. He shouldn’t be feeling like this. He was her protector. From everything.

Zelda was striding back to the horses. She could feel the pain and warmth in her hand from the tri-force. She was angry with him. She had helped – why could he not at least say thank you. 

When she had embraced him she genuinely felt relieved. She wouldn’t have known what she would do without him. When he pushed her away, her heart plummeted.   
She was livid with him when she mounted Artax and started to canter towards – well. She wasn’t sure where she was going.  
She just wanted to get away from him for the moment. 

\-------- 

Link felt so many emotions overwhelm him when the battle had finished. He was angry that she had put herself in danger – he would have been able to do it himself. He had done it himself in the past. But when she came to embrace him he couldn’t help but feel relieved that nothing had happened to her. 

At the same time, he felt the warm feeling which he got when she was close. And he pushed her away from him as he still wasn’t sure what it was.  
He was running back towards Epona and jumped up onto her, galloping towards her and then falling back into a canter when he reached her.   
They rode beside each other for an hour or so until Link spoke “Thank you.”   
Zelda stopped surprise by what she thought he said “What?”  
Link sighed and spoke slightly louder “Thank you.” 

They both stared at each other. She didn’t know what she should think. Was she still angry? But she wasn’t. She was just relieved.   
“That’s okay…” she smiled “I’m just glad… you’re alright”


	3. Emotional Intelligence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda discovers why Link came for her after 100 years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all 
> 
> This will be my last update for a little while as 
> 
> 1\. I am going to Lapland on my holiday for Dog Sledding!!   
> 2\. I need to try and find out which chapters go where - I have written a few but need to decide where to put them... 
> 
> Hope you all like it 
> 
> xx

The landscape had changed as they entered the Faron region. The trees had gotten taller and they were a number of vines dangling down from some of the branches.   
Some birds were twittering and squawking just beyond the trees.

They had set up camp just beside one of the turquoise-green rivers which curved through the forest and the water was splashing where some of the fish came up to catch insects. There was a small, rocky outcrop which was hidden carefully by green leaves and mossy branches. 

Link had carefully placed Zelda’s bed inside the ovoid cavern to shield her from the elements. He knew that in the area thunder and lightning were common- and on placing the bed he had looked up carefully to the skies, making sure there was no distant thunder approaching. 

If he needed it, he had a thick, woolly cloak to cover himself with. He was however aware that when it rained the cloak did start to smell of wet dog. 

He had set up a small campfire, blowing slowly into the red ashes. Within minutes the coal started to burn orange so he went to a pot which he needed to prepare Pumpkin soup in. He carefully pulled out the Pumpkin and carrots which he needed to put into the broth. 

Zelda had watched him silently prepare everything, he didn’t like to be interrupted or have anyone interfere. The fighting from earlier was still fresh in their minds, and Link was still trying to battle with the emotions that it had evoked in him. Both of them had been slightly awkward around each other since then. 

After they had eaten, he quickly removed himself from that situation. He went to the river to try to tease the dried, clotted blood from his blond hair.

Zelda was observing him from out of the corner of her eye – he seemed to be struggling. She was hesitating about going over to help him. But when he grimaced as he accidentally yanked his hair when pulling out a small clot she plucked up the courage to go and assist him. 

She knelt down next to the grassy riverbank “Can I help?”   
Link looked up pausing for a moment before he removed his hands. 

She went to place her hand onto the dried blood which had stained his hair and carefully tried to tease it out. He had closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of her hands over his head, causing his shoulders to relax. He almost let out a small sigh, but restrained himself.

“There…” she removed her hands, still kneeling next to him on the waterside, placing her hands into her lap as she would have when she was preparing for prayer.   
Link looked up to her and gave her a little smile “Thank you” – Zelda cocked her head “See, it’s not that hard” 

Link regarded her for a little longer than he should have whilst squeezing the water out from his hair. He then looked back to the river, tugging off his blue tunic which was covered in dried blood from himself and the Lizalfos. 

Zelda took a deep breath in as he took off his tunic. Her heart skipped a beat and she started blushing. She marvelled at him, moving her eyes towards his biceps, his chest and then downwards towards his abdomen. He had changed slightly since she had seen him 100 years ago. He had certainly gotten stronger.

Link looked to her with a curious expression and she immediately cleared her throat and looked away, standing up.  
He followed her with his eyes and furrowed his brow – was she looking at him? 

Her heart was racing, she was making very sure she was not looking at him anymore. She was still blushing. She had no idea how he felt about this all, but given his behaviour over the last few months she didn’t feel like he had any interest in her from that point of view. Even though she wasn’t sure what her point of view was either. 

Link washed out his shirt carefully – there was dark red mixed with black pooling around the tunic which ran down the river, contrasting with the beautiful bright blue it had been before. 

He started to rub the fabric together to try and remove most of the stains. There were still some faint ones, but he had never really worried much about that anyway. He wringed out his tunic and then stood up, placing it over a branch to dry. 

He went to one of the bags to pull out a clean tunic, pulling it over his head. At the same time, he pulled out a green apple, rubbing it over the tunic to clean it before biting into it. He looked to Zelda gesturing to see if she wanted one, but she shook her head. 

He sat down, cross-legged, still eating his apple, observing her carefully. He swallowed and cocked his head “you okay?” 

She nodded, probably a little bit too enthusiastically. 

He observed her altered behaviour. She seemed to be nervous and he could see the blush in her cheeks and her breathing was slightly different - slightly faster. She was fidgeting slightly and she still didn’t want to look at him. He wasn’t sure how to place her behaviour. 

He took another bite of his apple and then went to grab his bow. He wanted to restring it, he had noticed the sight was slightly off when he was firing earlier. 

Zelda took a deep breath in and calmed herself “Do you know why that happened?” she finally looked over to him and Link looked upwards. He bit off another piece of the apple, looking puzzled, waiting for her to elaborate. “My power.” She sighed a little – she thought it would have been obvious. 

Link swallowed the apple thinking about it but then shrugged his shoulders “I don’t know” he bit into the apple, holding it in his teeth. At the same time, he went to remove the string on his bow and tighten it. 

In a way he did know though. He hadn’t faced a Lynel like that in a long time. And whenever he did he would be injured in some way. She was protecting him. But he didn’t want to admit that to her, as he was meant to be protecting her. Not the other way around. 

She exhaled deeply, mainly because of Link’s unhelpful response. “I should probably go to bed. We have an early start tomorrow.” He looked up and nodded, unable to say anything with the apple in his mouth and both of his hands attending to the bow. 

Zelda sat down on her bed with her back towards him. She was still worried about what had happened today and although he had said thank you, he seemed to have said it in a way that young children do when you had scolded them. 

She sighed again and closed her eyes. Tomorrow would be another day. 

\------------

Link looked over to her again, still confused. He then looked back to the bow, pulling the string tighter and securing it. He finished the apple and threw the core into the bushes. He thought about getting another but didn’t. 

He was thinking about today.   
He knew the whole reason he was there was to keep her safe. But there was something else – he felt incredibly relieved. He had been worried about her. If anything had happened to her he would never have forgiven himself for it. But it was something more than him just being her Knight Attendant. But, as ever, he couldn’t put his finger on it. 

A lot of these things were new to him, despite the fact he must have known about them all those years ago. He could deal with surviving and fighting, but his emotional intelligence and empathy seemed to be lacking. 

He knew that Paya had a crush on him, after Zelda had told him about it. He himself was completely clueless.  
Zelda had told him that the stammering, her not being able to look at him and the blushing were all obvious signs of that. 

He did notice how Zelda had looked at him earlier and she had also been blushing. He wondered if that was the same thing?   
He sighed – he really had no idea. 

If he had to deal with girls or an entire army of Lynels – he would probably go for the Lynels. At least he knew how he could deal with them.   
He looked over to Zelda again – she had her back turned to him and she wasn’t covered up. He knew she would get cold quickly.

He got up putting his bow to one side and walked over to her. 

He picked up the woollen blanket and placed it over, letting the heavy fabric settle onto her, making sure he had covered her feet as well.   
As he did so he could feel the warmth of her. He carefully traced his hand down her arm before removing it. 

He knelt down and looked at her. He wanted so desperately to remember how it had been before. 

\-------------

Zelda woke up the following morning. Link had her back to her and he was making breakfast. She didn’t move and watched him for a while. She saw all of his mannerisms – how he had prepared the food in little bowls – he had cut up some Bananas and had a small pot of honey. She then also saw the rice which had carefully been poured out – and she could smell milk which was being warmed up. 

Link had always been very careful about preparing food – mainly because he loved it so much. His appetite had not changed at all. As she watched him it was almost as if it was 100 years ago – nothing had changed. But everything had.

He noticed someone staring at him. He bit off a piece of the apple he was eating and looked around to her, turning slightly. He gestured for her to come over with his head as his mouth was full and he was preparing breakfast with both hands. Zelda had noticed he had his blue tunic back on again. She was slightly annoyed that she hadn’t seen him get changed again and then closed her eyes. That was not what she was meant to think. 

Link cocked his head, looking at her. He swallowed and then spoke “You okay?”   
She nodded swiftly and then got up – she stretched and Link looked at her with that same yearning he had whenever she did that. 

His eyes travelled down to her top which had ridden up slightly exposing a tiny bit of her abdomen.   
He quickly turned around, biting his apple before she could see him. 

She came to sit down next to him and Link passed her a cup of tea with some milk. “What is it?” “It’s good for you” Link spoke with his mouth full and went back to preparing the food.   
Zelda drank a small sip of the hot liquid and closed her eyes in satisfaction. He watched her closely before going back to putting the rice into the warm milk in the pot. He placed his apple core to one side. 

“Before…” Link was stirring the rice into the milk. Zelda looked up waiting for his question. “Did you love me?” he looked at her closely, trying to see her physical reaction before listening to her verbal response. Her heart started to race. He was very good at just asking direct questions. “I…” she waited to think about what had happened in the last few days before he went into the resurrection shrine. 

The way they had spent time together. He had embraced her at the spring of power when she said she was a failure – he had held her, telling her that she wasn’t, and brushed some of the wet hair out of her face. The bright blue waters of the spring surrounded them – she could remember that memory vividly. 

When they were running from Ganon she was holding his hand. She had lost her grip and he had run back to her – when she embraced him, he had done the same, consoling her and telling her it wasn’t her fault. It had never been her fault. 

And he had protected her from the Guardian, despite the fact he was injured – he would have given his life for her. She hadn’t thought about whether she loved him. But she did. It was just an unspoken secret. 

“I think… I mean. I did.” She looked up to him.   
He looked down again, pouring in the honey to the rice. 

“I’m sorry I can’t remember that.” he couldn’t look up. “I’m really sorry”. She could tell he really meant it – the sadness in his eyes was obvious. 

Zelda’s heart sank when he said that. “That’s okay.” She started to drink the sweet tea again, not looking at him. Both of them were silent for a while. “I think…” he looked confused, still stirring the rice. 

“When I first woke up. I knew I needed to come for you.” He still refused to look up to her and poured in the banana. “I just didn’t know why.” 

Zelda was clinging to her cup, uncertain of what he was going to say next. She certainly never heard him talk this much since the Calamity. “I was wondering if it was because I did love you.” 

Zelda’s heart sank. I did love you

Both of them waited before Link spoke again “I knew there was something there. I could never leave you.” He continually avoided her gaze “The fact that you said that, makes me think that is why.” He then shrugged his shoulders “I was worried it was just some sort of embedded duty I still had that I couldn’t get rid of. The fact that it’s something more significant… that… makes me feel better” 

The only noise that could be heard was Link stirring the rice. “I do still love you…” Zelda spoke looking at her tea “But I know your memories were wiped out. And I understand that you don’t feel the same way”   
Link paused for a little while “I think I do though…” he looked at her again “I just didn’t realise that is what it was” 

They spent the rest of breakfast in silence.


	4. Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link worries about his destiny and finally shows some emotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more before I go...

Link could just about see Vah Nobris in the distance -the beast was towering above the rest of the landscape which was desolate and arid. 

Zelda had stopped and was looking to her Sheikah slate “It looks…” she frowned a little “as if there seems to be problems with Vah Noboris as well…” she looked up to the beast. From the outside there did not appear to be anything wrong with it. 

Link had stopped a small distance away from her as he always did – waiting for her to say something else. She looked around to him, her slate still in her hand “will you take me with you this time?” Link pondered the thought – he knew she would be okay. Her power still appeared to be there, after she had clearly demonstrated with the fight with the Lynel. 

When he went to repair Vah Ruta he had always gone on his own. Every time he thought he may have been able to see Mipha, or something of her. To see if seeing her would jog any memories at all. 

But all he could hear was the gentle flow and trickling of water in the beast. Occasionally he would here the trumpeting of it. Every splash of water he heard he would turn around to it immediately. But there was nothing. He had been alone all those weeks. 

On the last night when Vah Ruta had been repaired he went to sit outside.   
When it became dark, he knew she wouldn’t see her ever again.

He left the beast with a sense of disappointment. Zelda had noticed this but said nothing about it. 

He nodded to her request but didn’t speak. If he couldn’t see Mipha, he very much doubted they would see Urbosa. She knew that if she did see her that would upset her – she had almost been a mother to her since her own mother had passed away when she was young.   
He frowned a little. She hadn’t told him about her mother. 

She noticed the change in his behaviour. She wanted to say something, but didn’t. Instead   
she smiled and looked back towards the beast “I don’t think we’ll get there today.” She sighed. Epona was starting to get restless and Link patted her shoulder gently whilst whispering to her. 

Zelda gave a half smile “You were so good with that. You clearly still are”  
She felt a sense of regret that he could clearly remember all of his mannerisms and his quirks, but nothing about their feelings for each other. Other than what he had said yesterday at Breakfast.   
Link looked up from Epona – looking into Zeldas’ eyes. He tightened his lips but didn’t want to say anything. 

He did want to hear about how it had been before. But every time she said something about him ‘before’ she was quiet and her face showed pain – it was subtle but Link could see it. 

Zelda looked back towards where they were going and kicked her heels together causing Artax to move. They moved in silence for a while until Link spoke – she startled – she was not expecting that. “When you said you couldn’t hear the voice in my sword anymore” he moved up to be next to her, looking at her “What did it say before?” 

Zelda furrowed her brow and then started to think “I can’t describe it. It was just a feeling. It was a feeling that it was meant to be with you. And I…” she didn’t want to say anything at first. But Link was looking at her patiently “I really resented it” Link laughed a little “what?”

She was surprised by his reaction and then spoke again “because I knew you had your role. And at that time, I had nothing to show” “hm…” Link looked down. “What?” Zelda looked to him again, trying to gage his reaction “I still hear the sword occasionally. It knows it needs to be with me. But I can already hear it calling to the next person.” He shrugged his shoulders “I feel my destiny has already been fulfilled” 

She wanted to say something to that, but there wasn’t much to say. She looked at him and wondered if how he felt now, was the same as how she had felt 100 years ago. Maybe he was starting to resent her, because of her power.   
She looked to her horse again. She just wanted him to be happy. All she seemed to be doing was causing him pain. 

\----

Link was polishing his sword that evening – Zelda had already gone to bed and the fire was starting to die down. As he looked at the blade he was grateful he could not hear anything in her today. 

His mind was still filled with all of the things they had said in the last few days. As they went to the Zora Kingdom they had not had much time to talk.   
But now it was different. Most of the time it had been slightly awkward. And he wasn’t sure if it was the same before. But he suspected it was not. 

He sighed looking at the polished blade – he could see the embers reflecting in it as he turned it. He wondered what would happen when he died. Would the sword need to be taken back to the pedestal? Who would do that? Maybe the Koroks? Or would a higher power just cause it to disappear. 

He placed the tip of the blade on the floor and placed it gently on the fallen log he was sitting on. He looked towards the fire again, but then felt someone staring at him and he looked over to see Zelda – she had woken up and was looking at him.   
She paused before she walked over to him and sat next to him. 

She watched the blade for a while with Link, and then she spoke “I don’t think your destiny has been fulfilled”. Link looked up to her, his face expressionless. “I still need you…” she placed her hand on his thigh “I have always needed you…”. 

 

Link looked to her and gave her a half-smile “thank you…” – he placed his hand over hers and she returned his smile. 

He then looked back to the fire again but went to grasp her hand properly, putting his palm to hers.   
Zelda’s started to feel her heart race and looked to the fire. The glowing embers seemed to move in rhythm with her heart, the flames matching every dip and sweep. She wondered if he felt the same way. 

She looked over to him - he didn’t move, the Master Sword was just beside him.   
The fire was crackling and spitting and the light being cast by it was dancing over the dark trunks of the trees and flickering over their faces.

She wanted to say something but Link spoke first “I wish I could remember…” he looked to her “how I was before” he squeezed her hand slightly “I would love to remember how we were together.” 

She moved slightly closer, hesitating for a while before placing her head on his shouder “I know…” 

Link felt the warmth of her as she came closer and he looked to her head. He waited for a moment and then placed a small kiss onto her hairline before turning his attention back to the fire. Zelda had noticed his gesture, but said nothing. 

The fire was projecting long shadows on the surrounding area. Link gave a long sigh. 

“I can remember being out here though…” his attention was still on the fire, watching it dance up to the cold air, dying mid-flight with dark charcoal spiralling down “I can remember being with the guard, sitting at a campfire like this” he waited for a while “I think I was quite young when I decided to join” 

Zelda removed her head from his shoulder “You can remember it?” he nodded, still looking to the fire. “I don’t think the sword had chosen me yet.” He poked the fire with a stick that he had found. 

“You were 13 when you joined” Zelda was still looking at him, placing her other hand on her lap “you were the youngest ever to join.”   
Link picked up the stick and watch the small flame which had ignited. “your father had insisted you join. You were quite a prodigy” She turned her attention back to the fire. 

Link remained quiet, putting the stick back to the fire. “I’m glad some things are coming back to you at least” She gave a smile. Link gave a small laugh “It’s just a shame they are not things I want to remember” 

She coked her head “What do you mean?” 

“we had just returned from a fighting in the South” he sighed “I can remember the thoughts of having killed somebody. Not a Bokoblin or Lizalfos. A real person.” He looked to her. Zelda thought she could see tears in his eyes, 

He shrugged “would be nice to remember something good. But from what I do know…” he looked up “I think all of the good memories I ever had…” he looked back to her again “Were with you.” 

Zelda’s heart skipped a beat and then she gave a small smile “Isn’t that good?” “I think so.” He gazed back to the flames “but I can’t remember much, other than was what on your slate” he pointed to the Sheikah slate on her belt “but something in the months before all of this, before the resurrection shrine, had made me happy. I think it may have been when I was assigned to you” he laughed a bit “Even if I don’t think you liked me very much initially” 

Zelda gave a very small laugh “No. I don’t think I did.” 

They both remained silent for a while, still looking at the crackling fire. Link was still holding her hand. He didn’t want to let go. 

“Do you think…” he spoke quietly “I could stay with you tonight. I mean… in your bed. It’s just…” “Yes” Zelda answered, not wanting to wait for his explanation. She knew what it was. She knew that the memories he had were distressing him. But she wouldn’t every say that to him. 

She squeezed her hand. Link gave her a small smile. It was the first time since the Calamity that he had showed any evidence of emotion or weakness.   
She didn’t say anything and stood up, not releasing his hand. 

Once they got to Zelda’s cot, he was still holding her hand. He seemed to hesitate. She said nothing, sitting down and then pulling him down to her. They both laid down, just about fitting into the small bed. 

Link stroked her hairline and then placed it on her waist going to close his eyes. She watched him as he slowly started to drift off to sleep. She smiled. 

She knew he didn’t sleep much anymore. He wondered if it was just due to the fact that he was anxious – he had spent so many months alone surviving and fighting. She placed her forehead to his, her hand was on the side of his neck. 

She closed her own eyes, slowly starting to go to sleep. She noted his hair was soft and she could smell him. He smelt of fresh grass.


	5. I don't want to fail you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories of the night before

Link started to feel a sense of unease and then the foetid smell of smoke and dried blood. The smell of a battlefield.  
A sudden gush of pain jolted throughout his body. His stomach ached, his arms lost tension and his legs began to weaken. He knew that it would not get the better of him. Whatever it was. His tongue was soaked in blood. He was bruised and winded, with his shoulder in agony. 

Slowly he tried to get up, quickly realizing how futile it was. He had to bite his lip to prevent him from crying out.  
Wincing in pain he grabbed his sword, trying to pull himself up. 

In his mind, he could see it – smoke and debris, a pitch dark, foreboding sky. Dead creatures of Ganon who had not yet dissolved into smoke. He waited for the Guardian to take him, there was something he needed to protect, and he needed to defend her with his life if needed. 

Then he was pushed to one side and a gold light sprang forth from her hand. He collapsed backwards – unable to withstand the pain which was throbbing in his guts. It was deep and warm, but not in a good way. His breathing had become slow and deep. 

He saw the Guardian before him as he looked up. Its red targeting light had extinguished and its legs had crumbled beneath it. Beside it there were more, equally destroyed. 

Then she was over him, looking at him. Her eyes were green and bright, despite her face being dirty and muddy. He looked at her and wanted to feel her – to touch her. But he was no longer able to reach her face with his hands. He could feel her warmth – thinking it would be the last thing he ever felt. If this were his death -he would be grateful for it. All he would have wanted, was to be held by her. 

In that moment, the flash of anger protected him from his pain. If he could relive it, he would have tried to summon more strength. He failed himself, but more importantly, he failed her. 

As he started to drift off he could hear her saying something. Then there was shouting. And her warmth floated away. He wanted to feel her, he wanted to hold her close again. And then, there was nothing. 

He noticed that what he was feeling, what he was seeing, was a memory. But this time, it felt real – he was no longer detached as he had been previously. He was living it. 

\---

His eyes flew open and his arms flexed in shock. There were tears in his eyes and he was sweating.  
The pain was gone but his sense of unease and worry was still with him.  
He could feel his heart beat – every single pound in his chest. His breathing was rapid.

But then the warmth was there again, soothing him, healing him. He looked down and saw Zelda peacefully sleeping – her own breath was like an art form, her chest rising and falling with the sedative qualities of a lullaby.  
She had moved up against him. Both of his arms were around her, enclosing her. 

His breathing seemed to settle, but his heart was still racing. He didn’t know what had happened. He wondered if that was a dream? If it was, he never wanted to feel it again. 

As he looked back to her he felt a sudden adoration. Not the respect and devotion a Knight Attendant should have. But complete and utter adoration. His heart skipped a beat. This is not what he should be feeling. 

Link knew that Zelda said there had been emotion there before. But he was worried it wasn’t this.  
He felt lost and confused in a completely different way. Before it was because of his lack of emotion and now he did not know how to place this new found feeling. His insides where in chaos. A mess. 

He did what he always did. He pulled away. Gently he started to pull his arms out from her, careful not to wake her. He looked at her again, longingly but then tore himself away from it. He needed to try and find out what had happened. Why it had happened. He wiped the tears out of his eyes and grabbed his Master Sword, strapping it to his back. His heartbeat was still rapid and he tried to calm it. She needed him. He could not do what he did before. He would not fail her again. 

\--

Zelda was riding in front. She had watched him carefully that morning, trying to see if anything had changed. But it was almost as if he was more distant then he had ever been.  
He spoke only very briefly – asking her about what she wanted to eat and nothing else.  
As he packed up the camp he had not looked at her. He showed no anger, no sadness, no joy or resentment. Just emptiness. 

She had been so ecstatic that he had opened up to her and that some of his emotion had started to show. She knew it was different to what it had been in the past – he had never opened up to her like this. He had never said he wanted her to sleep beside him. 

At that she felt a heat glowing in her cheeks and she was worried that they would now be beyond an attractive rosiness.  
She was glad she was riding in front. 

As she went to turn around to say something to him, Artax suddenly reared – whinnying and snorting. She fell backwards off her horse, hitting her back – grateful it was on soft grass. 

Zelda looked towards what had caused her to fall. But before she could do that she felt it. The pain seared through her hand like a branding iron. She could see the outlines of the tri-force emblazoned over her hand. “Link!” she shouted, alarmed, before a black Bokoblin appeared before her, waving his spear and screeching.  
She wanted the power to erupt again, pushing out her hand to the Black Bokoblin but all that happened was that the creature screeched some more and then ran towards her. 

Link had already dismounted and was running towards her – he knew he would not get there in time so he ran and then skidded in front of her, blocking the spear with which the Bokoblin tried to impale her with. With a quick flick he had removed the weapon from its hand. 

The Bokoblin squealed in anger and then ran to try and get his weapon again. “Zelda, go!” he very briefly looked to her, concern was written in his face. She was alarmed as he would never normally have looked at her, let alone with that expression. 

As the Bokoblin started to come towards him, he went into a defensive position. Reflex kicked in – and as soon as he lunged for him he jumped backwards causing the creature to stagger. He immediately took the opportunity and swung for him. He slashed him over the chest causing it to squeal again and then as he found his footing he came forward and beheaded it. The dark blood of the creature spread over the ground. And then it disappeared in a puff of smoke. 

It was all over in seconds. 

He waited for a while – listening for anything else. It was unusual for one of the creatures to appear on its own. They usually travelled in groups.  
“It’s okay Link. It’s gone” Zelda went to stand up, brushing off her clothes.  
Despite this Link waited a few seconds more, before sheathing his sword. 

He started to walk towards her, his face once again expressionless. Zelda looked to him, starting to become angry.  
“Why did you not say anything about last night?” the words flew from her mouth that she never thought she’d say out loud. She had been angered by her power not working and this was something that just caused the pot to boil over.  
She knew immediately from the look in his eye’s that they’d hit their mark.

He waited and then spoke, the look in his eyes had disappeared. His face was completely devoid of any expression. Nothing compared to how he had looked at her during the fight.  
“What do you want me to say, your highness?” 

Zelda became more enraged – Link knew that expression from one of his previous memories. Her cold fury burnt with a dangerous intensity. “My name is ZELDA. Please stop calling me your highness!” she shouted now.

Link remained calm. He didn’t say anything and waited for her to say something else. 

“Why won’t you say anything? What at are you scared of?!” she had her hands on her hips.  
Link looked down now, not wanting to look into her eyes.  
Again, he remained silent. “Well? What is it??” Zelda questioned again. 

“I don’t want to fail you again” Link looked up now, staring into her eyes.  
“what are you talking about?” Her voice now was calm, in complete contrast to what it had been before. 

She was taken aback by his statement, stepping backwards. – she had not expected this in any way.  
He sighed and started to walk away, but Zelda continued her interrogation.  
“You and me. Something was there yesterday. We had a connection – why have you now decided nothing happened?” she followed him. 

Link didn’t want to say anything. He didn’t want her to think he was weak, any more than what she thought about him last night. 

He had remembered his thoughts and the memory of the guards talking around him – whispering among themselves about how young he was – how inexperienced he had been. He had recalled he had an injury at that time. Another scar which emblazoned his chest. 

As the morning had progressed he had felt more and more embarrassed and worried about what he had said to her. 

If he were to now tell her about his dream – if it was that – he would start to feel even more incompetent. He was there to protect her. Not for her to try and console him, for her to worry about him. He felt all of those things he should have done, coupled with his perceived failures. They all dominated his mind. He had no room for anything else. 

“Link” Zelda stopped, looking at him. She wanted to run up to him. To tell him that she had never failed her but she couldn’t form the words in her mouth. He had come for her after 100 years. How could he ever think he had failed her? 

Link refused to look at her, walking over to Artax and grabbing his reigns whilst patting his shoulder. She was right. He had always been good with horses.  
He knew she wanted him to take a step forward. But it’s not easy when you don’t know where your foot will fall. “I’m sorry. If I were to lose you again… I wouldn’t be able to cope with it. I need to be strong. I need to protect you.”

Zelda’s heart skipped a beat – he had never said anything like this. It felt that what happened yesterday was still bearing in his thoughts today. He was not being emotionless as she had thought he was. He was being human. 

Her words failed her and so she walked up to him, putting her hands around his waist from behind, pulling her towards him. Link had not heard her come towards him, and once he felt her hands around his waist, he felt the same warmth he had before. The comfort it gave him was immeasurable and he gently placed one of his hands onto hers. 

Despite his misgivings and worries he still needed her. He needed her.


	6. We are Equals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Link share an intimate moment

In the haze of the early evening they walked into the Bazaar, watching the stall holders start to pack up, gathering their wares.  
The horses were starting to become tired and they were finding it more and more difficult to walk in the sand – Epona stumbled at one point. It was time they left the horses at the inn which was placed centrally in the bazaar. 

Zelda heard a small thud and she looked towards Link who had gotten off his horse and was pulling over Epona’s reigns to lead her to the water. She quickly went to do the same but as she got off Artax she stumbled in the sand. Link immediately let go of Epona’s reigns and ran over to her to stop her from falling. 

She grabbed his arms and she found her footing again, standing up, but she didn’t want to release his arms “Thank you” – she looked up to him – they were now quite close together. Link gazed into her eyes – remembering how she had looked at him in that memory. Both of them stayed in that position for a while, until Epona started to whinny. Link immediately let go of her arms – he knew he had been staring at her for a little too long. 

He scolded himself and went to grab his mares’ reigns. As the day had gone on he started to remember everything from that memory. The pain he felt wasn’t just physical. But emotional. All of those feelings had just crashed over him and he was finding it difficult to come to terms with them. 

His affection towards her then was more than evident. But he could not remember anything before or after. He wanted to remember when he started to feel like that – why did it happen? Was it something gradual? Was there something that happened between them? 

He could still feel the heat radiating off the sand which was hot from the scorching sun, as he led Epona over to the water.  
He had looked upwards towards the sandy banks where Zelda had bestowed a memory on him. However, this one, he was still detached from. 

The sun was now starting to set, casting fantastic colours of oranges, yellows and pinks.

Zelda came up to stand beside him, following his gaze.  
She hesitated for a moment and then gently took his hand, both of them still standing next to each other, facing the area where the memory had played out. Link’s hands felt rough and almost unfininished. 

He did not look to her, but slowly grasped her hand in response.

She remembered how that memory had changed so much of her perception of Link. Before she had been so cold and distant – but after this she had started to warm to him. She remembered how they had been after that. Once she had stopped trying to fault him for everything he did. She now knew he was masking something with his stoic demeanour. 

She moved slightly closer towards him, still gripping his hand, and placed her head on his shoulder.  
“You never failed me Link… you came for me after 100 years.” Link turned his attention to her now, watching her in the warm light of the setting sun – she looked so beautiful. These were all new feelings to him but he was starting to feel more comfortable with them. She continued “Without you… I wouldn’t be here. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier…” 

She knew that he had bought a house in Hateno before finding her. She had wondered whether he would have chosen a different life without her. Maybe he would have become a farm owner – the town was right for it.  
Maybe he would have married one of the local girls and grown old with her – maybe have had children. 

But then she remembered what he had said to her - that he needed to come for her. And that it seemed to have been love that made him do it. She was still coming to terms with this – throughout his time with her before the resurrection shrine, he had always been so distant. But the more she thought about how he had been the more she had noticed that there had been something there and she had just never noticed it. 

For her all of this was still fresh in her mind. For Link it was still something that needed to be discovered again. 

Link looked outwards again and then spoke – his voice was slightly rough as he had not used it much today. “The last memory. Of you and me. With the Guardian” He didn’t look to her, now he was starting into the distance. “I remember it. I mean. I _really_ remember it” 

Zelda’s heart skipped a beat “What do you mean?” she moved her head from his shoulder and turned to him. Zelda noticed he was starting to become distressed. He very subtly tightened his lips and moved his weight onto his other leg. 

He took a deep breath in, then exhaled slowly “I can remember you being with me. How I felt.” He squeezed her hand slightly tighter, as if it would try and help his pain. “That’s why I said I couldn’t fail you again. Because I knew how it felt. I _know_ how it feels” 

There was a stillness between them both. She had so many thoughts going through her mind. But she stopped at one of them “When did… I mean. How did…?”  
He didn’t speak for a while – unsure of what to say as he still wasn’t sure if it was a dream or a nightmare. Or if it was any of them.  
“Last night” He shrugged “It was just -there” 

Zelda creased her brow slightly “Did you have a dream…?” “I…” Link pondered the thought, going over the memory in his mind “maybe. I don’t know”  
She could see his pained expression and she knew it was hurting him. He looked ashen and unwell even in this light.

He closed his eyes and took himself into a deeper place to cope. But it didn’t work. All it did was pull the memory and his agony closer to him.  
“I can remember the pain” he sighed “But I can also remember you holding me.” He opened his eyes and glanced to her “I shouldn’t have failed you”  
Zelda was almost dumbfounded. How could he…?

“I should have protected you. That’s why I am here now. I don’t want it to happen again” He continued, his heart was now racing. He wasn’t sure how these thoughts had escaped his lips – but there they were and they could never be taken back. 

Zelda moved in front of him, placing her hand under his ear, causing him to look at her “Never think that. Please.” his icy blue eyes pierced the darkness – there was a certain sadness in them. 

“We have both faced Ganon together. We are equals now” She moved slightly closer to him and Link felt his heart beating rapidly against his chest. She moved her hand down but Link grabbed it, holding it against the side of his neck. 

He wanted to say something but there wasn’t anything to say. He could feel her skin. It was soft against his calloused hands.

He took a deep breath in. He couldn’t. He needed to be strong. He needed to protect her.  
But then he remembered his memory – he remembered how he had felt.

He loved her. 

She had never left his mind. She had always been there – even if it wasn’t physically. She was his one stable force, the one stability in a world filled with chaos. He had said that he had loved her before – but this was different. This was deeper, more complete. 

He knew that there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to keep her safe. He had suffered the heartbreak of losing her before. But it didn’t mean it would happen again. They had been given another chance together. 

He leaned in a little further, their foreheads touching. He couldn’t fight against the thoughts that were going through him. Her very smell was flooding his senses now. 

He gave in and gently placed a kiss on her lips. As he did the world fell away. The kiss was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. All of his doubts were gone. He slowly moved his other hand to her lower back and pulled her closer, so there was no space left between them. 

Zelda could feel his heart rapidly beating against her chest.  
She closed her eyes. Link was still holding her hand and he moved it slightly, placing it onto his warm chest before moving the hand to the back of her head and pulling her in slightly closer. 

She hadn’t known that this is what she had wanted for 100 years – but now she couldn’t deny it.  
After what felt like an eternity Link came away – looking to her, their foreheads still together, as if he was unwilling to separate anymore of her from him.

Neither of them knew what to say anymore. The memory of losing her was still cutting through him like a pane of glass. But she was there - she hadn’t really left him. 

It was dark now and when the icy wind of the desert started to cause Zelda to shiver Link came back to his senses.  
“There is an Inn we can stay in” he brushed a strand of hair out of her face and then moved away from her. 

She looked at him for a while and then furrowed her brow “An Inn? When did that happen?”  
Link couldn’t help but give her a little smirk “It’s been 100 years. Remember?”  
He wanted to kiss her again, but stopped himself - “I’ll get the horses seen to…” 

There was a reluctance in him to leave – he wanted more. He wanted to feel her again.  
He took her all in – the look she gave him, her beauty in the moonlight, the subtle smell of fresh flowers which he had smelled when he stroked her hair.  
He sighed and then moved to get the horses. 

Zelda felt a shiver go down her spine and she wasn’t sure if it was Link’s kiss or the icy air of the desert. She was slightly breathless and when he moved away from her she noticed she was blushing – the heat of her cheeks almost warmed her compared to the frosty wind which was blowing around her. 

She watched him walk away and needed a while to calm herself. She took a deep breath in and now she was the one who needed to come to terms with her own feelings.  
She looked back over to the bank and couldn’t help but smile. She could remember her opinion of him changing back then. She knew that what had happened today would affect the rest of their lives again – as it had then.  
\--

Link was sitting outside Zelda’s room. She had been insistent she stay in her room or at least get another room for him to sleep in. But he had declined any of those offers. He knew he wouldn’t need to sleep tonight anyway and he felt it would be more appropriate for him to stay outside given what had happened tonight. 

He had been the first person to step into her room earlier– with his sword drawn, making sure there was nothing there that he needed to worry about. This was the first time they were staying in an inn outside of the jurisdiction of the Zora or any of the other domains. They had not yet gotten to Gerudo town where he would certainly be more comfortable leaving her alone under the protection of the Gerudo guards. Not that he ever would - he needed to be close to her. 

He sighed and relaxed back onto the oak door. He was sitting cross-legged and was polishing his sword. He didn’t need to, but it was a ritual he followed every day to calm him.  
He remembered the sweet taste of her lips. How she had moved up to him, pushing herself against him. His heart started to race again and he cleared his throat trying to think about something else, but it was almost impossible. 

He distracted himself by thinking about tomorrow - about the politics he would have to endure with Riju and Zelda. He tightened his lips. He hated politics. 

And then he remembered how he had gotten into Gerudo town. He had not told Zelda that yet. He wasn’t sure how he was going to tell her. He still found it ridiculous that he needed to dress like that despite everything he had done. Grumbling slightly he leaned back, leaning his head on the door. 

But at least he would have her – that was all he really needed.


	7. Sand Seals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda discovers how Link got into Gerudo Town and how he got there in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments :) 
> 
> Am starting Radiotherapy for my Brain tumour on Monday but am hoping I will still be able to produce stuff for here - it's actually really good for my speech/word finding (my tumour causes problems with that) 
> 
> Thanks all :)

He could hear the banging and rattling from Zelda’s room. He knew she was awake and wondered whether she had fallen out of bed – even by her standards she was being incredibly loud. 

Sheathing his sword, he stood himself up – feeling his knees crack and he swore under his breath. He stretched, putting his arms over his head – this time feeling pops in his spine and his neck.   
He let his arms dangle by his side and then moved his head side to side before pulling his arms behind his back, stretching his chest. 

There was another bang and Link stopped, looking around to her door “your highness…?”   
Despite what had happened yesterday, he still addressed her as he would in a formal setting.   
“I’m fine” there was some more rustling and then she came to the door, opening it. She almost looked breathless.

Link raised his eyebrows but said nothing. “Sorry. I was trying to pack my bag again. It… I’m not very good at it”   
He gave her a smirk, shaking his head. He walked into the room, looking at the small saddle bag which she had filled to the brim with clothes and books. 

Zelda noticed immediately that his mood had softened from yesterday. She would never have given her a smile before. 

“I’m sorry…” she closed the door behind her and Link started to unpack the bag again to try and redo it himself. “That’s okay…” he was folding some of her clothes as much as he was able to given his poor domestic skills. 

She had a lot more clothing to pack into her bag than he did. And he was surprised by how many books she had managed to carry back to her room.   
“I’m sorry. I thought I could use my time looking at some of the books whilst we were in the light.”  
She sat down on the bed and looked to him. She almost said something about the night before, but she bit her lip. She wanted him to speak first. If he ever did. 

He didn’t look to her and seemed to be concentrating on his task.   
“So… has anything changed since I’ve been in Gerudo Town” she looked over to him, waiting for him to return her gaze.   
Link shrugged “I don’t think so” he shrugged “But I sort of wouldn’t know anyway”

Zelda was still gazing at him – trying to place his emotion, but he was very good at appearing indifferent.   
She sighed and focused her gaze to one of the paintings on the wall – it was of several Gerudo women tending to some of the plants in the town, with two Gerudo children running around. 

She then frowned “When did they lift the ruling on not letting men into the town?” she looked at him quizzically and she thought she could see him blushing. “Link?”   
“It’s complicated.” He murmured and packed some of her clothes into the bag and then went to stack the books. 

She turned to him properly, putting one of her legs on to the bed “So…?”   
Link took a deep breath in and then exhaled sharply. He didn’t want to say anything and once he had finished packing her belongings he went to pull something out of his own bag. 

She was looking at him with a puzzled expression. Was he going to tell her or –   
Then she saw what he was holding out to her. “What’s that…?” she looked to the colourful fabric and when she went to touch it, it felt silky and soft. 

“It’s for you.” Link couldn’t look at her. She squinted at him and slowly went to take the outfit. “You didn’t tell me how you-“ then she saw that he was pulling out something similar for himself. She almost grinned “really…?” 

“Just. Don’t.” he muttered, pulling off his weapons, placing them onto the bed. Before he had never really been worried about what he did to get into the town. He did it to find her at whatever cost. And he now realised what that cost was… 

He turned away from her and then went to tug his shirt over his head. Zelda glanced over to him just as he was pulling over the shirt and she felt her heart race – this time she could not look away. 

Last night she had her hand on his solid chest and she had wanted to feel more of him. And now she looked at him, marvelling at his shoulders as he stretched and she exhaled deeply.   
Link briefly furrowed his brow when he heard her exhale and then turned around to her. 

Zelda blushed furiously, but did not avert her gaze. This time Link allowed her to compose herself, fighting the smile that wanted to break out. His gaze was soft as he looked at her “are you alright, your highness?” 

“Yes.” She shook herself out of it “Yes, of course.” She quickly turned around to look at her own outfit.   
Link couldn’t help but smirk. He remembered her behaving like this when they were in the Faron region – but this time he had more of an idea of what it was. 

Zelda took a deep breath in before going to assess her own attire.   
The trousers were a pastel green with decorative, darker green pattern hand stitched over the top. Her shoes were some simple, cream coloured pumps.   
The top was short with long sleeves and it didn’t cover her shoulders. 

It was the traditional garb of the Gerudo women. 

She had wanted to turn to Link again to say something but she didn’t. Instead she started to get undressed.   
Link could hear the rustling of her clothes and he needed to stop himself from glimpsing at her. 

They both stood knee deep in silence. The rustling of their clothing was the only thing they could hear. Link almost went to say something about last night but decided that he should just stay quiet. If he didn’t say anything – it would be like it never happened. But what he had felt could never be forgotten. 

Link managed to get dressed, instantly dismissing all thoughts from the night before. He needed to concentrate on what was happening today. He turned around to glance at her whilst putting on his head scarf. She was still struggling to put on the top. She had her hands over her head – she had not undone the corset at the back. And now, it was stuck. 

Her head was covered by the fabric and with some hesitation Link went over to help her.

Zelda felt him move over to her and he pulled the top up slightly to undo the corset. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten to do that. She couldn’t see anything with the fabric over her face and all she could do was wait for him to finish. She could feel his hands gently pulling at the ribbon and her heart started to race. 

Link tried very hard to not look at her, just concentrating on the corset. But his gaze wandered over to her shoulders and her collar bone he swallowed slightly as his glimpsed down wards. He could only just see the curve of her breasts – she was not wearing a bra and he took a deep breath in. He shook himself out of the thoughts and looked back to the corset. 

Zelda turned around to thank him but stared for a moment. He was definitely blushing. She had never seen him do that. He was always so stoic, in charge and annoyingly self- assured.   
“Um…” she was taken aback before she managed to find her words “Thank you” 

She moved her hands backwards and started to do up the corset but Link helped with that as well. He cleared his throat “That’s okay”. As he tied the corset into a small bow he didn’t want to move them away. He felt her heat over his hands and he stroked her back and Zelda felt a shiver run down her spine. 

She waited and then turned around again – going to inspect him and she noticed her heart skipping a beat. She saw his toned abdomen first and then she looked upwards looking to his bare shoulders where some of his chest muscles were just visible before they were covered by the fabric. 

He had a headscarf on and he had grabbed the veil that would cover his face.   
She wasn’t sure if she should laugh or not. “Um… you look good in that”   
“Thanks…” Link muttered, pulling the veil over his face. 

Link started to glimpse at her, but wanted to hide it. The clothes fitted her perfectly – the silky fabric was draped over her hips and as he moved upwards he noticed the top was perfectly fitted to the curves of her body – and he lingered slightly too long at her collarbone and bare shoulders.

“I’m sure the Gerudo will give you something more appropriate. This is just for today” he went to gaze at her face, avoiding her body. But even then, he couldn’t deny her beauty. her eyes looked like the first green of spring – sparkling slightly. Her skin was flawless and her lips were slightly tinted red. 

It felt like he was looking at her for the first time, all over again. 

“Your highness, I’ll be outside” – he bowed slightly, taking his sword of the chair. 

Zelda looked at him as he left the room and sighed. It was almost as if he seemed to come out of his shell in the evening but now he had closed up again. She hoped that this evening his behaviour would change again and he would reveal some more about himself. 

\---

They both had been given a curious expression by the Innkeeper. She remembered seeing a male and a female stepping into the room. And now there seemed to be two women. Even though one of them did look a lot more muscular than the other. But it was not particularly unusual for a Gerudo to have that body shape. 

She waited for a while, squinting at them both. But then she shrugged, she had better things to deal with.

Outside Link grabbed a second metal shield from the saddle which he had placed on one of the saddle racks.   
As he moved out of the stable he stroked Epona’s nuzzle, whispering something to her. 

Zelda had tied her hair into a pony tail and Link had told her she would not need the head scarf or the veil.   
He emerged from the stable still holding the metal shield in his hand.

“So… I’ve seen HOW you got into Gerudo town. But how do actually get there.” She looked puzzled – she knew it was a long way, even in this clothing the heat would be difficult to deal with. Link passed her the shield “I’ll show you” 

\--

Link had managed to sneak up to one of the sand seals and with some difficulty had put on the reigns. He was speaking to it and had straddled the seal trying to calm it. But it was pretty obvious that the bond he had with horses did not apply to Sand Seals. 

Zelda was giggling – his voice was not always as calm as it was with horses. She hadn’t seen him like this in a while.

After a while he had managed to wrestle the second seal into its’ reigns and pulled the quieter one over to Zelda. Although he was aware that neither of them would be calm.   
The other he had tied to a palm tree- hoping it would still be there when he went over to get it. 

“Be nice…” he smirked when he saw her giggling. Zelda couldn’t help but smile – it was the second time he had smiled today. 

“You need to stand on your shield” he went to take the shield off her and placed it on the floor. “Stand on it…?” She looked puzzled and Link nodded. “Trust me”   
She hesitated but then moved onto it, almost falling as the shield was curved. Link held her up, still holding the reigns with the other hand. 

“I’m okay. I’ve got it” she went to stand up properly – only intermittently wobbling.   
Link waited for a while before removing his hand from her. He looked to her and was suddenly slightly worried giving her the reigns to this rather eager seal. 

“Maybe… we should walk” “No” Zelda was firm “Let me do this.” She went to grab the reigns but he thankfully still held them in his own hands as the Seal pulled forward. Zelda almost fell and Link went to hold her at the same time. 

He looked at her with a concerned expression. She recognised it from yesterday.   
“Please Link. I need to learn these things. I can’t be a Princess like that anymore…” Link didn’t move yet. He just wanted her to be safe. 

He released her and pulled the seal back towards them. “You need to be firm.” He looked into her eyes “when it pulls you, you need to make sure you pull it back. Keep your arms flexed. The Seal should never pull your arms out straight. Otherwise you’ll have no control”   
He pulled the seal back with one hand, glowering at it at it. Zelda usually didn’t hear him talk that much and she nodded. She enjoyed the tone of his voice when he did speak. 

“just… be careful. Please” he hesitated and then passed her the reigns again. He still hovered his hand around her waist making sure she didn’t fall again.   
She pulled the seal towards her and he nodded “That’s right.” He started to move backwards but then the seal lurched forward and he gripped the reigns, grabbing her waist as she looked as if she would tumble over. 

He was trying to work out how they could both be on one shield together. But it wouldn’t happen.   
“I’ve got it Link. I’ve got it” 

He released the reigns again, still holding her waist. He felt his calloused hand against her smooth, soft skin and he really needed to make himself release her. “Just. Be firm” he stood away “Go” before Link could even speak the seal had lurched forward with Zelda behind it. 

She initially was startled but got herself together – remembering everything that Link had told her. 

 

Link didn’t pause – he pulled his shield out and slid it onto the floor, freeing the Sand Seals’ reigns from the tree. Immediately the Seal lurched forward – but Link was now used to it and he pulled it backwards firmly. 

He saw Zelda and he moved next to her and pulled the seal towards him, controlling it effortlessly.   
“Just relax” he tried to look to her, but at the same time was trying to look forward.   
Zelda was finding it difficult to relax when this creature was pulling her forward with some enthusiasm. “Pull him towards you. That’s it” he wanted to grab the reigns himself to help – but he would likely fall of his shield himself. “You’ve got it.” He relaxed slightly “We’ll just go slowly” 

Every time Zelda lurched forward Link almost went to grab her reigns – at least they were almost there. But now he needed to get her to stop safely. He hadn’t really thought of that. 

“when we get there Zelda. I want you to just let go” “Let go?!” she looked to him with some alarm “Trust me. It will be fine”   
He looked to her – it wasn’t far to Gerudo town. And he would rather that she let go sooner, rather than later. 

“Let go!” “What?” “Just let go!” Zelda was uncertain but needed to follow his advice.   
As she let go she found her becoming unbalanced and then fell from her shield, hitting the sand pushing the wind out of her lungs. 

Link let go of his seal a few meters before and was glad he did so. He watched Zelda fall hard onto the sand and he cursed himself. He should have really thought about this before.   
He ran over to her, skidding on the sand to be next to her. She kneeled and coughed slightly. “Sorry Link…” she coughed again and then looked to him. 

She immediately saw the gentle concern in his face and he looked her over – making sure there were no injuries he could see.   
He placed his hand on her shoulder and looked to her. “No. I’m sorry. I should have thought about that…” he spoke with such a soft voice that his words were calming her more by the way they were said, rather than the actual words. 

Zelda looked into his eyes. They were so different from what they had been since the shrine. The Knight Attendant was gone and instead there were the eyes of someone who loved her deeply. If it had been anyone else she would have dropped her gaze, but with him he felt drawn in closer, wanting more. “Are you okay…?” he placed his hand from her shoulder to her hairline, gently stroking it. 

She nodded, taking in every moment for her memory. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” She sat backwards onto her heels. Still looking at him. 

He breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to embrace her but was hesitant, so he stood up, giving his hand to her to help her get up. She gazed up and then pulled herself upwards, gently brushing the sand off her trousers.   
“So… I presume we walk the rest of the way…?” Link nodded. He tried to remember when they were last here together. 

And then it was suddenly there. The memory of being outside of Gerudo Town – sat in the shadow of one of the shrines. He could almost feel the coolness of the shade.

He was waiting for her and he could immediately feel the apprehension and anxiety of not being beside her. Of course, he trusted the Gerudo. But he wanted to be there himself to keep an eye on her. Even if she clearly didn’t want him to do so at that point.

And then he felt it. The devotion and adoration he had towards her – it was the same as what he had felt a few days ago. His heart raced at that memory. 

Zelda was looking at him quizzically, he was almost glazing over “Is everything okay…” she was not used to this from him.   
He came back to reality and nodded. He hesitated but then put his hand out to her “I don’t want you to fall over again…”

Link suddenly felt stupid – that was probably the worst excuse for him wanting to hold her hand. But before he could pull back his hand, Zelda had grabbed it. “Thank you…” she smiled. She knew it was a very bad excuse but she didn’t care.   
He looked happy.


	8. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving in Gerudo Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bloody computer was broken for like 7 days!! The top case needed to be replaced :( I have been pining for it for ages.
> 
> Currently no side effects from the Radiotherapy - so it's not that that is making me so slow - haha
> 
> Glad I've got my computer back now :)

The heat of the throne room was almost suffocating. The sun was blazing through the small windows which were placed along the top of the walls and Zelda suddenly felt incredibly anxious about what was going to happen.  
The Zora had been incredibly welcoming to Link and to herself and she worried that the Gerudo would not be as accepting of her presence. She had never met Riju, but Link had told her she was friendly – even though he had paused for a moment before he said it. 

Before they had even entered the town there was wariness surrounding herself and Link – although he was received in a slightly more pleasant manner. Obviously he had tamed the beast with Riju and it was clear that this would have garnered him the respect from the Gerudo. 

As they entered the room she noticed immediately there was a relaxed atmosphere between Link and Riju – she could see the small nod that Riju gave to Link on entering.  
She felt a little bit like an imposter now and wanted to slink out of the room. 

“Lady Riju – Princess Zelda Hyrule and Master Link” the guards voice was booming and Zelda almost went to hold one of her ears, but thought better of it.  
Instead she went to bow her head, Link did likewise after he had seen her gesture almost going into a full bow, looking slightly uncomfortable. 

“Lady Riju” she raised her head again noticing a number of the Gerudo Guard were looking at her with some confusion – it was obvious they would. They had never met her before – but they knew the stories about Urbosa and how she had fought with the Princess and the Hero of Time, as a Champion.  
But why would she now be here - and HOW would she be here now?

“It’s a pleasure to welcome you to our domain, Zelda Hyrule” the throne on which Riju sat was obviously too big for her. She had her legs curled up underneath her but it was very obvious who was in charge.  
As soon as Zelda entered the room she noticed her Aura and her Authority – she was very clearly a very competent leader despite her age. 

Zelda was starting to feel the heat – she had some sweat beading over her forehead and felt some sweat dripping down her neck; despite the fact she was wearing such a revealing outfit. Looking briefly to Link she saw the sweat on his forehead – but he was staring at her out of the corner of his eye and she didn’t know why. Riju had obviously noticed something similar and gave a small smirk to both of them. 

“I would like to offer my condolences for Urbosa. I know it was many years ago. But she sacrificed herself to defeat the Calamity. I would not be here with her” 

For a moment there was silence in the room before Riju gave them both a small nod, sitting up slightly more, placing her hands onto her arm rests “Thank you, Lady Hyrule” 

Zelda took a deep breath in – slightly apprehensive about what she was about to say. Maybe she shouldn’t? But it was already too late – she could see Riju staring at her with her eyebrows raised, obviously aware of the fact she was going to say something. 

“Lady Riju” she exhaled “I would like to reunite the domains together.” There was a slight tension in the room. The voice with which she continued was slightly tremulous “I would like to solidify the four domains of the Kingdom of Hyrule again. And the Gerudo domain is one of them" 

There was a silence in the room – the only thing that could be heard was the trickling of water from the small streams which had been placed around the room.  
It was obvious that she may have asked too much of Riju and the Gerudo now – maybe she should have at least eased into the relationship with Riju first. There was a regret of having asked her such a monumental favour already. Her heart was now starting to race and she wished she could take back her words. 

The Zora already knew her – despite the length of time she had been away. They knew about her battle with Ganon and about Link’s struggle to find her. When she asked King Dorephan about her request it had been welcomed and appreciated – he knew and respected her father. 

The Longer they sat in silence the more the tension in the room increased. She could feel Link’s gaze bore into her from behind – it was not apparent if he wanted to give her encouragement or whether he wanted to let her know she had asked too much. 

“I understand your concerns about the Kingdom, Lady Hyrule, and it’s stability. But I do not feel you have much of a Kingdom to unite too. I understand the castle was mostly destroyed by Ganon and of course by time itself” 

Initially Zelda was glad that Riju had spoken first- but the more she said the more embarrassed she became. 

“Of… Of course Lady Riju” she spoke quietly now “But we need a common ruler to look too”  
Riju gave a humourless scoff “You mean yourself, Lady Hyrule?” 

The embarrassment that she felt was clearly written over her face and she tried to stop herself from blushing. She gripped her hands together into fists and felt her nails dig into her palms, but her face remained expressionless. 

Of course, that is what she wanted from her. Urbosa would have been far more accepting of her request – but she could not think of that now. Currently, she was still a stranger to the Gerudo domain. 

Zelda saw Riju’s glance move from her to just behind where she was standing. “Lady Riju” she looked behind her and saw Link moving forwards, to stand just in front of her. Riju almost seemed amused by this and let him speak. “Zelda Hyrule held off the Calamity for 100 years. Without her, we would not be here. She deserved the upmost respect for what she has done.” 

The love and respect she now felt for him was overwhelming and as he said that she started to feel more in control.

Bulliara slammed her spear into the floor and Zelda looked to her with surprise. Link did not seem nearly as bothered even though she was now glaring at him “You should NOT speak to Lady Riju like that”. Link merely bowed his head and stepped backwards, but not before passing a small encouraging look towards her. Her relief was apparent when he stepped back and she almost wanted to mouth the word ‘thank you’ to him. 

“Hm.” Riju had the attention on her again – Bulliara was still glowering at Link with him very deliberately ignoring it.  
“I do believe, this is something we need to discuss, Lady Hyrule. But maybe, not today”  
As she uncurled her legs from underneath her and hopped off the giant throne she looked even smaller that she had done before. “We will of course happily offer you a room here.”

Rijus’ hands were now placed in front of her; briefly glancing to Link and looking him over. Zelda knew how dishevelled and grubby he looked and she frowned slightly. In a way she was silently hoping that Riju would not notice. But on looking at Bulliaras’ face when they first walked in, it was apparent that at least at least she had seen it. 

“We will continue discussions of this tomorrow. When you have both rested.” Riju was now addressing Zelda “It would appear you have had a difficult journey”

“Thank you, Lady Riju” bowing her head slightly she looked towards Link who had tightened his lips when Riju spoke about the difficult journey to Gerudo town – he knew it was his unkempt appearance that made her say it. 

“We will show you, to your room” Bulliara spoke – still glowering at Link who still continued to ignore it. 

\----

Before they had even agreed on a room Link had already started to argue with her. He didn’t want a separate room as there was no reason for him to even have a room. Just staying outside where she was sleeping was perfectly acceptable. 

They had had the exact same discussion when they went to the Zora kingdom where Link had been given his own room but he never stayed in it. 

But this time Zelda would hear nothing of it, she wanted him to have somewhere to sleep and if she needed to she would bully him into staying in his own room. She still had authority over him. 

Bulliara was clearly becoming annoyed with their quarrelling and rubbed her temple with her eye’s closed. She had no patience for arguing between teenagers.  
She shouted over them both for a twin room to be prepared and before Link could speak Zelda had placed one of her hands on his chest and glared at him. “Thank you, Bulliara.” She could hear Link huffing when she spoke but he said nothing else. 

\---

Link closed the door to the room which they had been given and immediately removed his veil and headscarf. As he rubbed over his face, taking in the fresh, albeit humid air, he finally looked relaxed.  
The veil and headscarf were thrown unceremoniously on the floor. 

“You do look good in that…” Zelda gave him a small smirk and Link turned to her. There was an awkwardness in his face which he combined with a low grumbling “Thanks…” 

Her gaze wondered around the room briefly and then curiosity started to set in as she had not noticed Riju or Bulliara say anything about ‘him’?  
“Link” there was some confusion in her voice “Do they know?”  
“Know what…?” without looking at her he started to move around the room – checking under the beds and for any secret entrances which could be hidden. 

“Well… do they know” there was an annoyed sigh that escaped her lips and she spoke quietly “that you… are a ‘he’?”  
A chuckle came from Link “Yes… and no”  
None the wiser she still looked at him with a puzzled expression. “So…?” 

Link looked slightly confused and she could see him frowning, obviously mulling the question over. As she tilted her head Link spoke “Well… they know. Some of them, anyway” with a shrug he continued “Most of the women outside the Palace don’t know. But really…” pausing for a moment he continued “It hasn’t really ever been discussed… I think it’s just an unspoken secret” 

The casual attitude he had to the fact that he could hang in the Gerudo Domain, should anyone find out, was either very brave, or very, very stupid. She was still unsure which one it was. 

With some exasperation she turned around and looked to the room they had been placed in.  
There was a large, dark green silk couch which had delicate leaves embroidered onto it – not that dissimilar to the Gerudo trousers she was already wearing. Somebody must have taken hundreds of hours to sew them on. 

Vibrant, colourful cushions covered the couch and accented the bright oranges and reds of the walls. 

It was extremely different to the room she had been given in the Zora kingdom. Much more lavish and luxurious. Although of course the room which she had been given by the Zora was also spectacular. 

As she jumped into the bed she felt the soft mattress cushion her fall and the wonderful, colourful clean sheets billowed around her like a cloud.  
She pressed her face into the cool, brightly coloured pillows and her smile broadened, especially as she went to feel the skily sheets.

Link watched her out of the corner of his eye and she could the conflict in his mind – even though she had a suspicion of what it might be she didn’t say anything. Instead she sighed deeply and wrapped herself into the clean sheets. 

There was a brief pause before Link cleared his throat. She could see him walking around the room again – clearly the apparent luxury was wasted on him as he continued to check the room for any secret entrances.

The guard outside were training, Zelda could hear the shouting – and Link started to peer over to them, clearly trying to hide himself as he looked. A Voe in the town would cause serious problems, let alone one in the Palace.

“Thank you, for what you said in the Throne Room. Earlier” there was a brief silence and Link then gave an affirmative noise, but he was still looking at the Gerudo Guards training. 

“What I said is true…” he briefly glanced over to her and then started to look around the room again, picking up some of the trinkets the Gerudo had placed in the room and non-chalantly assessing them before placing them back on the table. He then looked into her eyes “Don’t let Riju take that away from you tomorrow…”

There was a small smile from Zelda “Thank you…” 

Grabbing one of the pillows to her stomach she started to look at him. His blonde hair was scruffy, strands sticking together like a wash was due. Usually it was a beautiful, dark blonde – but now it just looked grubby and almost brown with stains of red blood caked around the back from where she had been unable to remove the blood in the Faron region.

Finally, he sat down on the bed and she could see his shoulders relaxing and his tension seemed to fall away. The tiredness that she couldn’t, or wouldn’t see, was now so obvious. The dark circles eyes under his eyes, his pallor. It was an exhaustion that she had never really seen before. 

“You need to sleep, Link” “I’m fine” as he stretched he pulled his hands over his head, his neck and back clicked. A grimace clouded her face.  
“You don’t look fine.” 

The room was silent again – they could hear the Gerudo Guard training outside.  
There was some annoyance in her that she had not said something to him earlier as it was also her role to look after him. The defiance in him to not sleep was obvious, but she also knew that he really needed to. 

“Link, if you go to sleep, I’ll be here” with some reluctance she added “if anything happens, I’ll wake you”  
“I can’t. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep when I was with you a few days ago”  
He looked angry at himself and Zelda sighed. “Please, just go to sleep… I don’t want to have to argue with you about this…” 

Most of the time she had spent with him he had not slept, and she was trying to add up how much sleep he must have had over the past few months. It must have been maybe a few hours a week. Neither of them spoke but Zelda tightened her lips. 

“fine…” despite his obvious sigh of defeat she could see relief in Link. It was like she needed to give him permission to sleep – it was something she should have done a lot earlier. 

Annoyed with herself at this she stood up and started to help get his sword off his back.  
Immediately Link perked up and tiredness was forgotten “I can do it” “I know - but I’m helping” it was obvious that she was not going to be argued with. 

Nobody had held the sword since Link had removed the sword from the pedestal at the Deku tree and when she went to hold the sword she could see the anxiety etched on his face “It’s fine Link.” She knew what he was thinking about – about the fact that the last time she held that sword was when he was taken to the shrine. 

“Please, don’t think about that.” putting the sword on the chair next to the bed, she then went to help remove his harness. 

“Hands up” “Hands up…?” “Yes – I’m taking off your harness. Now, hands up” reluctantly he followed her instructions and with her help he slipped out of the leather harness he was wearing “I can do it myself, your highness” 

“Yes. But if you do- you’ll do it slowly. And you may change your mind” speaking firmly she heard Link grumble in resistance but he didn’t speak. 

“Lie down. Go to sleep” “I don’t know if-” “Sleep” her voice remained firm and they both looked at each other – she could see he wanted to argue but she didn’t give him a chance to – lifting his legs up onto the bed, causing him to lie down. 

There was an appreciative hum with came out of the back of his throat when he laid down onto the soft pillows and Zelda smiled in satisfaction. He looked as if he was going to say something but as he closed his eyes his breathing changed and it was very obvious he had fallen asleep. 

The mattress dipped as she sat down now, stroking his hairline and watching him sleep. There was a realisation that this was only the second time she had seen like this. Once a few days ago, and today. He was the Legendary Hero, , the mightiest warrior in Hyrule, the person who was chosen by the blade that seals the darkness. And yet here he was, completely defenceless and vulnerable in front of her.

She placed a kiss onto his forehead – pausing for a little too long before she pulled away again. 

There was something in her that wanted to stay – being on the other side of the room was just too far away. Technically, she was just staying to be close to him in case he needed to wake him, not that she ever would. Not tonight.

She pulled her legs up, curling them below her and moving one of the plump pillows to her back so she could relax.  
Link’s breathing was rhythmic, slow and deep, and she started to find herself moving into him, her breathing matching his. Even though she had wanted to stay awake she found herself drifting off. But not before going to place her hand over his.


	9. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Radiotherapy is going well - its all good :) 
> 
> thanks for the comments - love you all! :)

Link’s eyes flew open, his heart was racing, and his breathing rapid – like someone had fired a shot of adrenaline through him. He was going through what had happened – why this had happened. He could remember falling asleep with Zelda stroking his hair. Panic set in, his heart pounding even faster now – where was she?

_I shouldn’t have fallen asleep. I shouldn’t have – Goddesses where is she?_

As he went to spring out of his bed he felt her resting next to him – on his arm, gripping it – but still very much asleep. He exhaled deeply as he saw her curled up next to his chest, her tranquil form did not move as he led back down to the cushions, placing his hand to the back of her neck. 

The adrenaline in him started to dwindle – but not without him questioning what it was, what it could have been.  
But similarly, he remembered that this had happened before. 

It was before he had freed her and, in a way, he had almost forgotten about it, assuming it was the swords way of telling him what to do. As if he had needed the extra initiative to get her from the castle and to destroy Ganon. 

The last time was, in fact, the night before he had gone to get her. One of the moments he had decided to have a proper sleep, in preparation for what was going to happen. The stable had been warm and peaceful. Only the flickering candles lightened up the room – there had been no reason for him to wake in the night. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of the animals and the crickets in the grass. The sky was a black tranquillity married to a poetry of stars. 

When he shot up in the middle of the night, he felt his heart racing and could see a number of the other guests of the stable staring at him in shock and disbelief. He wondered if he had shouted or had been thrashing around, but he didn’t ask – with no pause he turned around and closed his eyes – pretending he was sleeping as if nothing had happened. 

As he thought about it more, he noticed that the number of these episodes had become worse every time he defeated one of the beasts. By the time he had conquered Vah Rudania, it was happening almost every night.

It was strange that he had not made that connection before. 

Then she started to move, firmly gripping his arm – she was gasping and whimpering – her face became contorted. 

The nightmares she had were not new to him. Usually, he would sit at the edge of the camp, and she would settle herself. But when nothing happened, he would move over to her, placing his hand on her forehead, whispering to her until her face became calmer and her whimpering stopped. Of course, he had never told her this. 

Nevertheless, this was the first time she had had a nightmare since that memory had come back to him and now he felt this sudden guilt. She experienced such pain and anguish when she was fighting Ganon, such unbelievable agony, and he thought he was at fault for all of this. 

But it was done, those emotional scars now adorned her soul, and he could never make it go away – not ever. All he could do now was comfort her, hold her close and ride it out with her. 

So, he held her, pressing his forehead against hers, feeling the cold sweat which had formed over her skin – his hand smoothed her hair, feeling the strands sticking together from her perspiration. “I’m here…” he felt a lump in his throat, and shockingly felt some tears welling up; The walls that held him together, made him strong, were starting to crumble. 

He loved her. He couldn’t see her in such pain. 

_Goddesses. I need to be strong. Don’t do this._

_Please, don’t do this._

When Zelda moved again she released Link’s arm, her face still distorted with pain and she started to pant.  
Link now started to panic, he had never seen her like this – it had never been this intense. The tears in him dissolved immediately as her right hand began to glow with the golden light from the tri-force. 

Something must be here – something must have caused this. Link scanned the room, listening intently before pulling away from Zelda – his eyes had now adjusted to the dark room, and he grabbed his sword, pulling it out of its’ sheath. 

His heart was pounding in his chest – the role of protector was now his again – no weakness, no doubt, he swung his sword to his side and waited for something – for anything. 

_I’m here Zelda… I’m here_

\--

The pain that she had experienced in those 100 years came back to her again – these were the only nightmares she ever had. Darkness had spread around her, the only brightness she had was the gold of the tri-force, the glow of it engulfed her, kept her warm in what would be the blackest of all of her memories – but she could still feel it – feel it trying to break her. 

_Link… please come quick…_

It was there again, pulling her into the darkness – the light she had was starting to be suffocated. 

_I’m here Zelda… I’m here_

With a start, she was up – she could feel the sweat over her body, and she was still panting. Link wasn’t there – why wasn’t he there?  
“Link?” tears were spilling down her face when she sat up, feeling the Gerudo outfit sticking to her wet skin. 

The sword was still in his hand when he turned, she could hear the clanging as he dropped the blade to the floor when he saw she was awake.  
Her surprise was evident when he came up to her with two long strides and pulled her into his arms. Her sweat mingled with his own and it caused her to feel that heat in her stomach again, and her heart was now racing for an entirely different reason. 

“I’m sorry…” she was still not sure what she was apologising for – it was just an instinct drilled into her from her father.  
But Link was shaking his head – he had sat down on the bed, still holding her close and she wondered if she could feel tears running down her shoulder from where he was embracing her. 

Both of them were soundless for some time, all they could hear was their own breathing which was now becoming more settled. Zelda almost felt as if she was going to fall back asleep as she started to relax in his arms, leaning her head onto his shoulder. 

“Go to sleep…” Link started to release her, easing her into the soft pillows – he was now leaning over her, holding himself up with one arm.  
“What about you…?” her hand went up, and she placed it just under his ear, brushing over his cheek with her thumb where she was now sure she could feel some tears – but it was difficult to tell in the dark. 

“I’ve slept… I’ll be fine…” The smile he gave her made her heart race again. There was a pause before Link began to lean into her and Zelda went to cup the back of his head, pulling him in those last few centimetres for a gentle kiss. 

Although it started softly, it became more passionate, more intense, and deeper. Link slowly pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips – her heart was now pounding against her chest, and she opened her mouth. 

The pleasure that she felt when he went to explore her mouth made her pull him in even closer – she wanted more – she could feel the heat in her stomach moving down between her legs. 

But then he pulled away, his breathing was shallow and shaky “You… You need to sleep…” she could see him swallow the lump in his throat “Please” and she knew he was saying that more for him, than for her. 

Still, she looked into his eyes – they were now a dark blue, full of heat – and she knew it was for her. She quivered and moved her hand to his tense biceps – Link’s breathing became slightly faster “just a little bit more…” Zelda whispered, pulling him in for another kiss. 

Initially, he tried to oppose her – but it was utterly hopeless – he needed it as well.  
He gave out something that would be described as a reluctant sigh, but he didn’t pull away, still leaning over her. 

Zelda moved her hands behind him, pulling him in from the back of his neck and holding her other palm to his jaw, wanting to pull him onto the bed, shuffling over to make room. But Link hesitated, pulling back from her, leaving his forehead pressed against hers and peering down, breathless and now almost trembling. 

“I can’t… “ his eyes’ were closed, he couldn’t look to her – His heart felt one way, but his mind – his mind was still conflicted. It was his job to protect her, he shouldn’t be making love to her, as he so desperately wanted to at this moment. And all the moments that would come afterwards. 

Zelda’s heart plummeted when he spoke, and she moved her hand from behind his neck, resting it on his shoulders. “That’s okay” she wanted to give him a smile, but his gaze was still faced towards her stomach. 

They sat in silence, Link’s breath was still unsteady with his arms still bracketing her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I just still don’t know what… “ his voice trailed off in thought. 

“It’s okay.” She brushed his hair out of his face, but he still didn’t look to her as he shoved himself up out of bed. “Go to sleep” he paused for a moment, not sure how to address her in that moment “Your Highness.” 

The consideration of asking him to call her Zelda came to her mind, but she didn’t speak.  
“I’ll be here. Just… sleep” he waited for a moment but then glanced to her. The confusion in his eyes was so apparent to her, and she wanted to say something – she wanted to ask him to stay with her, sleep in her bed, hold her, but she held her tongue. It looked as if he just needed some time alone.

He had gone to pick up his sword from the floor and sat cross-legged next to the other bed, leaning on it.  
Zelda relaxed back onto the pillow where she continued to look at him intently – she knew it would be light soon. 

She wanted to tell her that she loved him – but she thought she should wait. There would be a time, but it was not now.  
Both of them stayed awake for the rest of the night with Zelda relaxing on the pillows with her eyes closed.  
But he knew she was awake – he could feel it.  
And to his shock, there was something else. A feeling. A voice. Something that told him, it was not finished.

\--

The following morning had been uncomfortable. Link was worried about what he had felt last night, both with Zelda and from what he believed was the sword. 

He had wanted her that night and for all the nights to come.  
But he worried that his feeling would compromise what was going to occur – and he knew something would. 

It had been so clear why he had awoken that night, with the same dread he used to have before he saved her – he should have recognised it long before the voice in his mind spoke to him. 

He loved her – he now understood that. He had loved her since he met her over 100 years ago.  
But it was feasible it was his love that caused what had passed. The feelings of frustration and inadequacy cut through him like a knife. 

He watched her get dressed that morning from the corner of his eye, slipping into a pale green silk dress, and he felt desire again.  
But he countered it with the failure from his memory. He thought nothing would ever be able to oppose that. 

Watching her closely all that morning made it clear to him that she had not noticed anything unusual about him, or the sword. She would tell him about it as soon as it happened if it, in fact, it would ever happen. 

“Link?” he promptly came out of his thoughts and stared at her, remaining silent. He could tell she was considering what to say about the night before and she bit her lip slightly.  
“Shall we go…?” quickly he spoke, he didn’t want her to say anything about last night. It still was something he didn’t want to think about until he knew how to feel about it. 

The abruptness of what he said was evident in her face – he wanted to say something else to soften it, but he didn’t know how. 

“Yes” her voice was muffled as she nodded, looking to the floor “Let’s go.”  
Link’s heart was racing – he didn’t want to leave her like this. But, there was nothing he could do. He was meant to be protecting her, and he would not let his own feelings endanger that.


	10. The Thunderblight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back into Vah Naboris to find out what the problem is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Struggling with the exhaustion from the Radiotherapy (now starting week 4)  
> 2\. I've lost my hair which SUCKS  
> 3\. Finally something good next chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy

Zelda and Link had finally been given permission to ascend Vah Naboris and currently were standing outside on the sands where Link was preparing. He had got a rope from the Gerudo and was preparing to throw it up to the beast to climb it. Zelda would need to use the Slate to get up herself. 

Both of them were silent as he prepared and Zelda felt like they had just distanced themselves again - it was like it had been after they left the Zora Kingdom. Even when she spoke to him all she would get was one-word answers. 

"Are you sure you want me to come…?" The slate was in her hand, and she was gripping it waiting for a response. Again, he was silent. He just nodded. Despite this, she still felt uncomfortable  
"If you want to go alone then" "I said you can come"  
Link didn't look at her, he was wrapping the rope from his hand to his elbow and back again - Zelda decided to drop the matter.  
Link had gotten changed outside the Gerudo town and was wearing the Champions tunic again, he was boiling already and was intermittently having to wipe the sweat off his forehead. The Sword, shield, bow and quiver he had strapped to his back did not help. 

"You should have worn something else. I wouldn't mind if you had to wear the Gerudo gear again…" she mumbled – of course, she wouldn't mind. Even if she couldn't be with him like that - she still enjoyed looking at him. And that made her feel slightly embarrassed. 

"I'm fine." Link looked upwards trying to look for somewhere to hook the rope - he had tried very hard not to look into her eyes over the last few days.  
They both knew it was going to be a difficult and awkward time when they were on Vah Naboris without them really speaking to each other. 

"You go up first" Link looked to her but not enough for Zelda to actually see the look in his eyes. "And when you get to the pedestal, you wait until I get there" Zelda could see the tension in him, and she tightened her lips "Okay." 

"I'll see you up there..." Link didn't look at her, and he was waiting for the hum and gentle blue glow of the Sheikah slate. But there was nothing.  
"Your Highness..." Link turned to see her and spoke softly now "if you want to come..." "yes. I'm sorry" her gaze moved downwards and flipped through the controls. Her legs were slowly lifted off the ground and then she was gone. 

As her feet found the floor again, she started to look around. It had been so long since she had been here - she wondered if anything had changed. Although she assured Link she would stay at the Pedastal, she started to walk around, marvelling at the impressive structure of the beast. Of course, she had seen it before - but being here, actually seeing it after such a long time was magnificent.  
It was as if she had completely forgotten what she had promised Link and Zelda started to wander into the beast itself, looking around, taking it all in.  
She knew Link had been here before and she looked around trying to find any evidence of him having been here. 

Then she heard it - a small beep and an electronic sound. She wasn't sure what it was, and curiosity took the better of her. With the slate still in her hand, she turned around and there it was - a small guardian with its red eye on her. Startled she stepped backwards.  
It shouldn't be harmful to her. They had defeated Ganon now, and she was surprised it was even activated.  
"Hey... I haven't seen you in a long time" as she reached her hand out for it, it lunged forward, almost slicing off her hand. Zelda stumbled back and fell.  
Without hesitation, she put her hand outwards, but the gold on her hand didn't glow. It didn't do anything, and the guardian moved towards her again. 

An arrow hissed past her head and struck the guardian in its' red eye. It took a few seconds until it collapsed in a heap and then dissolved into a puff of black smoke.  
"I told you to stay where you were" Link's voice was firm - but there was some concern registered in it, and Zelda turned around.  
"I'm sorry. I thought I could just" "I am only trying to keep you safe. When I say you need to stay where you were, then please believe me."  
Link put his bow onto his back again.  
This was probably the longest sentence he had said in these last few days.  
They both paused for a moment, but then Zelda started to look angry. 

"I should be allowed to do as I wish, Link. I am the Princess"  
"And I am your protector. When we are going into something that is unknown then you need to-" Link stopped, and his ears twitched "I need to what?" Zelda started to speak, but Link held his hand up, gesturing her to be quiet. 

She looked around trying to see what he was seeing. Pulling his bow again he slowly walked towards her, trying not to make a sound. He put his finger to his lips in a 'hush' motion and then went to hold her hand, pulling her upwards. 

"You need to go..." he spoke quietly now "go back to the pedestal and get to the Daqo Chisay shrine - I'll find you in the town" "No" Zelda was firm with her statement. "I'm staying with you."  
Before Link could say anything, there was another noise, this time Zelda could hear it. 

She heard him swear under his breath and he went to grab her hand. He was looking around frantically, trying to find somewhere safe for her to hide- but there wasn't anything. Zelda could see the desperate look in his eyes, and she squeezed his hand. Before she could say anything, she felt the deep burn in her palm, like a hot iron had been pressed to it. "Link..." Zelda winced and released the grip on his hand and made a fist, squeezing it. She was grimacing - never before had she had this pain - even when her powers had first come to light it had stung slightly. But every time something like this would happen, it got worse.

Link was now starting to panic slightly. This was not him, this was not how he would have reacted only a few days before. But the memories. The failure from his shortcomings.  
No. No, not now. 

"I'm here." he was saying more for him than for her.  
Zelda could recall her dream from a few nights ago. He said that to her then. 

"I know." her heart was pounding from the pain in her hand, but she needed to be with him.  
"I'll be with you. I'll be safe." Zelda tried to reassure him, but she could see the concern on his face.  
The noise came again, this time it was closer.  
Zelda then saw the skull's rounding the corner. Two of them - cloaked with a flame which was black and purple. It looked as if they should be laughing, but no sounds were coming out. She had never seen anything like this before.

Before Zelda could even register what was happening, Link had pulled two arrows out of his quiver and fired - hitting both of the skulls, and with a puff of smoke they had disappeared "Your Highness, I know what's going to be there. You need to stay with me, and if I say take cover, you do that. Please" he briefly looked to her then went to nook another arrow. "I promise" Zelda responded. 

Link took a deep breath and then started to walk up the small incline, always making sure Zelda was directly behind him. He moved his hand outward, making her stop and then kneeled down, pulling her down with him.  
"Stay here..." he whispered "and don't move..." Zelda nodded, doing as he asked. Her hand was still gripped to her chest. It felt like the burning would move through her clothes and into her very core. 

Link stared at her for a second longer than he should, certainly when he was in this situation. He was sure his drill officer would have killed him for that. The memory that came into his mind from his training all those years ago surprised him for a moment, but he needed to stay focused. He would worry about that later. 

Zelda looked around the corner and then saw what Link was concerned about. There was a large, purple and black mass which spilt over the surface of Vah Naboris - and in the middle a bright, yellow eye. It didn't look as if it had seen her or Link.  
From the pain, her knees were becoming weaker and weaker, and so she had to sit down, still watching Link as much as she could 

Link had knelt on the floor and took a deep breath before he rose up, pulling the string tight and the fired. The eye looked to Link for that moment before the arrow plunged into its eye.  
Zelda saw the eye dissolve into a puff of smoke before the rest of the black mass disappeared in the same way. 

Link stayed where he was, his bow still in his hand, waiting for something else.  
Zelda could then see the tension flow out of him, and he lowered his bow, moving over to her to kneel back down again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought you here." his hand moved up to just below her ear - it was the most affection she had felt from him since they had kissed that night.  
He brushed his thumb over her cheek and then went to kiss her forehead, and he repeated himself "I'm sorry."  
Zelda felt butterflies in her stomach, and she blushed slightly when he went to kiss her forehead. All of this, it just felt right.

"I'm with you Link. I said we are equals. You and me. We're in this together." there was love in her gaze when she looked at him, and Link started to lean in - almost oblivious to what had just happened.  
Zelda felt his lips brush hers but before they could kiss she frowned, pulling away from him. Link initially thought it was him, but then he looked to her hand, the gold tri-force was still glowing. 

Immediately that tender moment was forgotten, and Link stood up, pulling his sword out of the sheath.  
"You stay here" "no" "Zelda, please" her heart skipped a beat as he said her name. He so rarely did.  
Link looked up and then back down to her "I want you to sit by the door. And I DON'T want you coming in unless I tell you" they both knew he never would - but Zelda just nodded. 

There was a worried sigh from Link, and he pulled her up settling her by the doorway that led into the main cavern of Vah Naboris. "If anything comes for you... you shout" he looked into her eyes, still holding her hand. "I promise..." Zelda was quiet, and Link was still reluctant to release her hand until there was another noise - but it sounded different. 

Suddenly he had released her hand, and his Sword and Shield were now in his grasp. Zelda was trying to follow him with her gaze, but as soon as he walked into the room she felt her hand burn again with the golden glow, and then Link seemed to have disappeared in a blur. She could hear the thud of him falling on the floor.  
"Link!" she shouted, standing up despite the agony in her hand and started to run towards where he was, coming out of the large doorway.  
"Don't!" Link shouted "I've got it" 

Zelda could see it - the giant creature, holding a shield and an axe. It was almost twitching intermittently, and she could see some lightning around it.  
"What..." as Zelda spoke the creature looked to her - it was levitating, and it started to move towards her. She could hear it screaming in her head, and she clutched her temples.  
"Zelda!" Link scrambled up, grabbing his sword, running and then skidding in front of her, pushing the creature backwards with a decisive blow. 

"You need to run" he swung his sword back into an offensive position but didn't look at her. The scream that was there in Zelda's head had disappeared, and she was trying to compose herself - she could just about hear Link's voice. 

The Thunderblight was standing in front of Link, its head twitching slightly, its weapons still in his hand. The creature's gaze was now fixed on him again.  
With a blur, the figure disappeared, reappeared and then when it appeared again it was in front of Link, slashing his axe at him.  
But Link was faster - he countered with his shield, pushing the weapon to one side and then used his own sword to cut into it until the creature fell backwards and then disappeared. 

Link immediately turned towards her "Go, Zelda, You need to-" "LINK!" she screamed as the Thunderblight appeared behind him and tried to plunge his axe into him. He had turned around just as it went to push weapon into him and he parried it with his sword. With his brute strength, he managed to push the figure backwards, and he pulled his shield up when the figure came at him again. 

He knew he could do this. He had done it before. But not when he was trying to protect Zelda. Usually, he would be able to use Urbosa's fury - but not without harming her.  
His heart was pounding in his chest as he countered the attack once more before the Thunderblight dissolved into the air and then appeared at the very back of the room. 

"Zelda, please go." he was not looking at her, but Zelda stood firm.  
"Link, I need to-" before she could say anything else the creature had dissolved and then appeared immediately in front of Link - before he could counter the beast swung his axe into his chest and the force of the blow flung him backwards.  
Zelda could see the red blood staining his tunic, and he had released his shield and sword. 

"No!" Zelda bellowed and then approached the Thunderblight who had turned to her. She was furious and pushed her right hand out in front of her - tears were streaming down her face. The tri-force burnt in her hand - but the pain now had a purpose.  
The creature started to race towards her, she could hear the screaming in her head but as she pushed her hand out further - there was a glow which spread out from her hand - blasting the creature backwards. It screamed again, but this time it was in fear.  
Then it disappeared. 

Zelda stood there in disbelief - it was like it had been before. And then Link... Oh goddesses, Link!  
She ran over to him, sliding on the floor to him, holding him as she did 100 years ago "Link, please. Please don't. Please" she was gripping the wound and Link looked up to her. She could remember it all vividly "I can't live without you anymore. Please..." tears were pouring down her face. 

She wanted to put her hand to his face but then noticed the light, still glowing. She looked to her palm and then to Link whose head had already slumped backwards.  
"please... oh goddesses, please. Don't take him from me..." she laid her hand over his wound, squeezed her eyes shut and held him close.  
The gold light from her hand did not erupt as it did before. The glow just spread over Link's chest and when it stopped all Zelda could hear was her sobbing. 

Then there was a gasp and coughing - Link tried to push himself upwards, unsure of what had happened. He could see the red blood which stained his tunic, and then he looked at Zelda who looked at him startled and relieved, tears had stained her face.  
They didn't say anything as they embraced each other, Zelda was weeping into his shoulder, gripping his tunic, her hands were bloody from holding his wounds. 

"I thought I lost you..." Link shook his head "I'm sorry... I should have" Zelda pulled away "No" she put her palm to his jaw "no".  
They were silent for a moment and then Zelda leaned into him, kissing him softly.  
For a moment Link felt resistance, but he didn't want to, not anymore. 

Zelda pulled away gently smiling, but still with tears in her eyes.  
Link gave a half smile "We should probably get out of here..."  
She looked to her right hand - the tri-force was only faintly visible under the blood "It's done, Link" she showed him her palm. Link looked at it perplexed but then realised what she was saying.  
He placed his palm to hers, slowly gripping it with their fingers intertwined - both of them were smeared with Link's blood. "okay..." he nodded "But we should still get out of here..." 

Link went to stand up but grimaced when he moved "I'm here..." Zelda held him up, and Link looked to her with a love that she had not seen before "thank you."  
Zelda's heart raced.  
Usually, he would argue, he often would refuse and try to do it himself. But not this time. This time he let Zelda help him. This time, they were equals.


	11. "I protect you, because I love you"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda finally give in to their feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh thank god
> 
> Also - this is explicit content, just so you know. If you don't like it, please turn away now! 
> 
> Radiotherapy still going well - just pretty tired which is why I get to sit at home and write

There had been some difficulty trying to get Link back into Gerudo town. He needed to get changed into the Gerudo outfit again - at least into the top, the veil and headscarf. He still kept on his blood-stained trousers.  
Even after that some of the Gerudo were suspicious of him, only after Zelda insisted he was 'her bodyguard' did they relent and let him enter the town even though she was the one who was holding him up.  
When they presented themselves to Riju, she did not even hesitate to send them to rest - instead of awaiting news of what had happened on Vah Naboris. There was concern registered on her face as she did so. After they left, she had sent hot water, bandages and new clothes to their room. 

Link pulled off the veil and headscarf, along with his top. His weapons which were carefully placed onto the chair and his sword was resting by the wall.  
There were a few contusions visible over his back, and there was a nasty smudge of purple over the front of his chest where she knew a bruise would show over the next few days.  
He was using the water that Riju had sent up to clean himself but didn't bother placing any bandages over his scrapes and grazes.  
When he turned around, he stared at Zelda and tilted his head slightly  
“you okay?” she imagined that she must have been frowning when he asked her that. 

“Your scars.” she pointed to them. Link glanced down at his chest and then back to her  
“what’s the matter?” his face showed obvious confusion, and he furrowed his brow.  
“I wonder how many of those were caused because of me…” her voice consisted of a small murmur and she was worried he wouldn’t be able to hear her.  
Link glanced back down his chest again, and when he looked up, his expression was kind and affectionate. So different from his usual, stoic expression. 

He came over to sit down on the bed, placing a hand behind her back onto the mattress, leaning towards her. Zelda had followed him with her eyes and just stared at him.  
“Zelda” her heart skipped a beat when she said his name “the reason I have any of these scars is because I protect you.”  
“Yes, and that’s my –“ She felt his calloused finger over her soft lips making a hush motion and immediately she was silent.  
“I protect you because I love you” Zelda’s heart was now racing – when she glanced to him she saw his beautiful blue eyes – they showed pure love. No longer was that distance there that had always been in his eyes since he awoke from that shrine.  
It felt like it did all those years ago. 

Before she could say anything, he moved his hand that was gently placed on her lips up to behind her ear, and Zelda felt herself trembling.  
He was still looking at her as he started to lean in – the kiss was soft and gentle before he then pulled away again, still looking into her eyes. 

“If you want me to stop, tell me now…” he whispered, and she could feel his warm breath against her lips. Zelda said nothing, swallowing slightly. Link went to brush her cheek with his thumb and then very gently brushed his lips against hers “or now” he was still looking into her eyes. Instead of saying anything she pulled her into him, pressing her lips against his. 

He kissed her carefully, moving his hand behind her neck. Zelda started drawing her legs up, tugging him onto the bed – he followed her without hesitation.  
She felt the tenderness in that kiss, but that is not what she wanted – not after all of this time. As she straddled Link, she lent in further, pressing her chest against his, moving one of her hands beside his head, the other gripping his shoulder tightly. 

Link let out a small groan, low in his throat and she felt him trail one of his hands over her lower back.  
His insistent mouth was now parting her lips, pushing his tongue into her. This time the sensation was different. It sent wild tremors along her nerves. She had never been with a man in that way before, and she felt the promise in that kiss – knowing immediately it would not stop at that. 

She pulled away with some reluctance and Link opened his eyes looking confused – but when Zelda went to pull her top off, he relaxed back, putting his hands onto her hips. The silky fabric slipped over her head, and when she saw Link again, he had taken, and deep breath in and she saw that heat in his eyes again. 

She leaned back into him and hungrily found his lips before Link went to moved his hand upwards, gently brushing over the curve just below her breast.  
Very slowly he went to move his hand further over her breast itself, stroking over her nipple and Zelda moved away for a second to hitch her breath.  
She could tell that Link liked her reaction as he went to do the same again, slowly rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. The roughness of his hands made her whimper slightly. 

Before she could even register what he was doing, he started to move her over, pushing her onto the bed with his legs between hers. He went to stroke her hairline with one hand, the other was holding him up.  
“are you sure you want this?” Zelda couldn’t even believe he asked her that. She had wanted it for so long – he must have seen the way she looked at him when they were getting changed and how she had kissed him before. 

Instead of answering she leaned into him again, cupping his face with her hands and Link didn’t wait before kissed her long and hard. She could smell him – the freshly cut grass, the hint of muskiness.  
She could feel Link release the tension was holding – all of it. Before there had been some sort of barrier there, something that stopped him from being with her in that way.  
But not now. He moved from her lips and started to trail his tongue along her neck causing Zelda to whimper again, arching her back. Instead of tickling her it sent small shock waves into the heat in her stomach which had slowly moved down between her legs. 

His hand was now massaging her breast, moving over the nipple, causing her to hitch her breath and she started to wine slightly – she wanted him somewhere else, but he was being very slow about everything he was doing. 

“Link…” she whimpered, not even knowing what she wanted from him. Every time he kissed her it felt like her skin was on fire and when he then nipped the area between her neck and collarbone she gasped. “What…?” Link murmured, and she looked down. He was smirking and moved his tongue slightly further down causing Zelda to whine, and she closed her eyes. 

When he got to her breast he waited for a moment – she could feel his warm breath over her nipples, and when he went to flick his tongue over her, she gasped again. The warmth was sent straight between her legs, and she was sure she was starting to become wet.  
He continued caressing her breasts, slowly sucking on her nipple and then moved to the other one, giving it the same attention. 

Then she felt his hand starting to move down, stroking over her lower stomach and her heart began to race even more. His hand was touching the band of her underwear, and he seemed to hesitate. She wasn’t sure if it was nerves or if he was just taunting her, so she moved her hand down and went to slip his hand into her underwear, but Link showed very quickly it was just him teasing her and he removed his hand. 

“Hey” he smirked as he moved away from her “you are inpatient, Zelda…” he kissed her neck again, licking just below her earlobe and then nipping it.  
“Goddesses Link, please stop torturing me” she arched her back again. “but why…?” he moved his lips up to hers, and she could feel his warm breath.  
She just whined at that response and Link moved his hand back to her lower stomach - brushing over the band of her underwear again. 

He waited for so much longer than Zelda had the patience for “Please…” she was almost begging him now. “Please…?” he kissed her softly, and when she tried to push her tongue into him, he moved away. 

He waited, and Zelda felt her breath settle – with that he went to slide his hand into her underwear and touch her just above her folds.  
The breath she took now was almost one of relief – she knew she was wet – she could feel it. 

Link caressed her neck again, and Zelda knew he was making himself more comfortable, shifting slightly onto one side.  
Slowly he started to move between her folds – careful not to move over the most sensitive part. He must have done this before – although she wasn’t sure when. And right now, she didn’t care. 

Slowly he was running up and down her folds, causing her to whimper, and when he moved deeper, she felt him at her opening where he pushed one of his fingers in for maybe a centimetre and then removed it. He was driving her mad, and he knew it.  
She was gripping the sheets and was moaning now, and Link gave out a throaty groan from the back of his throat in response to her pleasure. 

He shifted his hand back up again and then finally moved over her clit and Zelda gasped and whined. Again, he waited until her breath settled before he moved to massage her bud with his thumb, touching his fingers to her opening and stroking around it.  
Zelda could feel the tension building up in her with every movement that Link made. As his thumb started to massage more firmly, she moaned in earnest, and at that time he moved his finger deeply into her, and she could feel him stroking along the top of her insides.

As he did that she pulled away from him, her pleasure filled moan was almost starting to become and shriek. Link whispered in her ear “quiet…” he nipped her earlobe again and that was it.  
The pleasure filled waves crashed over her, and she gripped his shoulder firmly, worried she was now digging her nails into him.  
“Link!” he had nuzzled into her neck until she started to move his hand away – but she was still breathless. And she saw Link was too. She looked down she could see how excited he was by her pleasure. 

Instead of waiting for her breath to settle she went to press her lips onto his “take them off…” her voice was stifled by the kiss, and she ran her hands down over his toned abdomen to start to unbuckle his trousers.  
Link gave her a small chuckle and pulled away from her “you definitely have no patience.”  
“I have waited over 100 years for this Link” she looked him into his eyes “I don’t need to have patience anymore” she pressed her forehead to his, and they both looked at each other for a moment. 

As she looked into his eyes, she saw that familiarity. She knew that before the shrine they kissed – only once. She could remember being in the Spring of Power– when he went to hold her. Cold water surrounded them, and the sky was velvet black with brilliant white stars scattered around it. She could remember the fragrance of the Silent Princess hanging in the air, their glow lightened the area. And when Link pressed into her, she felt his warmth. His touch was so tender as he went to lift her chin up to kiss her with a softness she had never experienced before. It was a secret she kept with her and she always would. 

She wanted this for so long – and now it seemed that he wanted it too.  
Link’s lips mashed up against hers and she hungrily pushed back, opening her mouth, her tongue sliding over his teeth and into his mouth. It would seem that Link did not need any more convincing and he pulled away from her hurriedly trying to undo his trousers and then pull them off, throwing them onto the floor. 

She could see his erection and felt the heat come into her face again and she just stared at him for a moment. “Zelda” he looked self-conscious now as he moved back a little and she sat up, pulling him to her. She leaned in slightly kissing him more gently than before “I love you Link…” she stroked over his hairline. He smiled and then kissed her again before murmuring against her lips “fairs fair…” he moved his hands down to her hips and started to tug at her silk trousers.  
Zelda relaxed backwards and let him pull them off, pulling her underwear with it.  
She was suddenly aware that she was not completely naked in front of him and he looked up and down her and gave out a small sigh. “You are so beautiful…” he gazed back down to her, still kneeling, sitting back on his feet. 

She could feel that heat coming up into her face, and she smiled gesturing him to come back to her. As he did so, he leaned over her again, kissing over her lower stomach and then moving up to her breasts, her neck and then her lips.  
“Are you-“ Zelda didn’t even let him finish, and she kissed him again  
“I’m sure” she pulled away. They were both gasping for breath. 

Link moved his hand downwards and slowly positioned himself to her opening “Tell me if you want me to stop…” she just nodded and relaxed as much as she could. When he went to enter her, he gave out a small groan. His hand was now by her side, and he was balancing on his elbow, gazing at her intently, wanting to make sure he wasn’t hurting her. 

Instead, Zelda arched her back slightly, and every time he moved further she moaned slightly more until he had entered her fully. “You okay…?” he moved to her neck, caressing it gently. Zelda just nodded, and when Link shifted slightly, he started to thrust into her. With every movement, she felt more pleasure run down through her, and she tried to pull her legs up to wrap them around his hips.  
“Oh god Link” she whispered, but Link could not respond. His eyes were closed, and he was now groaning slightly louder, pushing herself into her. And every time he did, she felt that heat and pleasure building up again. 

Zelda was moaning in earnest now, and she was slightly worried that some of the Gerudo would hear them – and the way her whimpering and moaning was getting louder and louder she worried very much the entire town would hear them.  
“Link… I’m going to…” she moaned and couldn’t finish the last word as she arched her back towards him. Her nails dug into his shoulder, and her other hand gripped the sheets.  
She felt that pleasure rushing over her again, and she felt her tense around him – and with that he also came, thrusting until he was spent. 

They both lay there in post-coital bliss, Link was still leaning on his elbow, quivering slightly. “Oh, goddesses Zelda” he gave her a small smile – still breathless.  
He caught his breath to kiss her before moving away. She could feel him moving out of her to slump onto the bed next to her. 

She turned to look at him, and Link did the same, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. “I suppose that changes everything then…” Link smirked slightly, not sure what else to do.  
“Yes… it does.” Zelda moved further into him, smiling.  
Neither of them were sure what to say anymore – but whatever they had done, it felt right.  
H pressed his forehead against hers “Go to sleep…” his hand was behind her neck, gently stroking her hair.  
She had so wanted to stay awake, she wanted to be with him forever in this moment, but sleep was starting to overcome her, and she closed her eyes for what felt like only a second but immediately felt herself drifting away. 

Link stayed there, just looking at her, stroking her hair softly.  
He couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to realise how he felt about her. Being with her felt so right.  
The reason she was able to protect him was somehow because of their relationship. They needed each other. 

For some reason, one of the memories came back to him – the memory of being in the Spring of Power. He wanted her to feel the power of the tri-force – he felt the disappointment for her. When she cried, he immediately waded into the water to hold her. He couldn’t remember what else happened – but he remembered those feelings. 

He sighed and relaxed into the pillows watching her sleeping form. He knew he rarely slept, but the exhaustion from the battle and their lovemaking were making his eyelids heavy with sleep. He closed his eyes, and for the first time since the shrine, he felt complete.


	12. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories of the night before and obviously breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Struggling a bit with my word finding at the moment :( But getting there! it's always good to keep going

It was light when Link started to pull his eyes open, unsure of how long he had actually been asleep.   
Sleeping was starting to become a bit of a habit now, and he moved around beginning the feel the deep ache of his muscles all over his body. He was sure the battle hadn’t been that bad.   
None of his battles really challenged him in any way since he defeated Ganon. And he certainly had not had any injuries that were in any way worth his time. Sometimes a few contusions, rarely anything that drew blood. But yesterday was very different, and he felt disappointed he had not been able to defeat the creature himself. But equally grateful for her being there. 

He glanced at Zelda in his arms, nestled into his chest, sleeping peacefully. He never saw her look so beautiful. Her lips were slightly parted, and even as she slept, she had a gentle blush over her face, and her blonde hair flowed like gold over her shoulders.  
He gazed upon her perfect, naked form with some sweat glistening over her chest which had caused her to throw the sheets off in the night rather than move away from him.   
Goddesses he loved her – more than anything in the world and even though there were few memories from before the shrine, he knew how he felt about her. It was strange how it all happened without him being aware of it. 

His thoughts then wandered to the night before. He remembered everything, it would be forever engraved in his memory. He moved his hand very gently to stroke a piece of hair out of her face and kissed her forehead.  
Link regretted nothing of what happened last night – he thought he would. He feared that waking in the morning would make him feel like he did something wrong and inappropriate. But thankfully there was nothing – all he wanted that feeling again. He so wanted to just move over to her and kiss her, pulling her hands over her head and teasing her over and over until she was begging for him. 

He could feel something stir, and he realised he would definitely have to leave the bed. It was getting light, and they needed to start to prepare for the day; otherwise, there would be questions asked and suspicions raised.   
With reluctance he moved away, settling her gently into the pillows. Goddesses he didn’t want to leave her like this, but he knew he had a job. Even if he had given in to his feelings for her – he still needed to protect her.   
And at this particular moment he certainly needed to try and protect her honour – and being with her knight attendant in that way would certainly not endorse that specific aspect. 

As he sat up, he stretched causing his back to click as it always did but taking a deep breath in he stopped and felt like he had been punched.   
Gazing downwards he saw a deep purple bruise over his right chest, moving over to his flank and he was almost sure he had broken a rib.   
As he noticed that particular injury he started to scrutinise any others – but all he could find were contusions, grazes and a few lacerations. 

His Champions tunic was stuffed into his bag yesterday, and he knew that there was a large tear in it which he would need to repair at some point. The trousers, however, would likely need to be thrown away. But he had such sympathetic attachment to that tunic he would never let it go. He would wash out the blood stains – he had done it before. 

He stayed seated on the bed for a moment, placing his hands next to him onto the mattress, trying to gather himself to stand. Just as he was going to, he heard Zelda murmuring behind him “Where are you going…”   
He turned and saw her gazing at him with those bright, green eyes. Her smile was one of happiness growing, and it came from deep inside to light her eyes. 

Zelda had grabbed his wrist, and he knew he had no chance of getting up now – no matter how much he wanted too. She had pulled him back into the warm bedsheets, creased and untidy from their lovemaking.   
Link needed to try and be level-headed now as he knew it was getting light. He settled his hand onto her waist “You need to get up, Your Highness…”   
Goddesses that is indeed not what he wanted, and from looking at her beautiful come-hither eyes, she clearly didn’t want to get up either. Link could hear himself making something like a whine, and he pulled her closer to him. Quite contradictory to what he told her.

Zelda leaned slightly into him, and she placed a soft kiss on his lips before trailing her hands along his lower abdomen.  
No – he needed to try and be sensible, and he grabbed her hand, smirking “Get… up…”   
He did feel as if his voice did not sound quite as firm as it had done before. 

It was apparent the Zelda clearly didn’t feel that it did either, and she moved him over, straddling him and leaning into him, moving her arms to his wrists, holding him there firmly. He found this gesture surprising, but not entirely unwelcome. She then smiled “They will all think we’re asleep Link…” she brushed her nose against his and gently placed a kiss onto his lips. 

She clearly had a healthy sexual desire, and he wondered how she had been able to hide it for so long. He knew the looks he had given her before, but he never thought that it was that. And now he had opened up to her like that he had a suspicion she would be showing it a lot more. 

Clearly, she was enjoying this, but Link decided that he was not going to play that game and with a quick movement he had moved her over, holding her wrists above her head. Zelda looked slightly disappointed but also excited at his response, but when he went to kiss her neck, she whimpered in response and arched her back.   
Link took a deep breath in and tried his best to control himself “You are really not very good at this Your Highness…” he whispered next to her ear and then nipped her earlobe.

In response Zelda moved her hips up against him “What if we’re quick…” she smirked, and Link exhaled deeply “If we get caught, I’m blaming you…” he said nothing else and went to brush his lips against hers, slowly moving his hand from her wrists, brushing down her underarms and down to her lower stomach. As he moved over her folds, he could feel how wet she was and gave out a groan, wanting to move into her with his finger but before he could there was a hard knock at the door, and the deep voice of a Gerudo rang through the door “Your Highness?” 

Link pulled away suddenly as if he had just been drawn to attention by a drill officer and fell onto his side of the bed – his heart beating furiously as if he had just been caught doing something very insubordinate. In a way he really had.   
His role was her protector again, and he looked around trying to find the silk trousers the Gerudo had given them – even though he knew he would have to calm down before he could put them on. 

Zelda sat up, looking flustered and she pulled the sheet towards herself “Yes?” her voice seemed to be high pitched, and Link gave a small chuckle. Zelda stared at him, looking irritated. 

This time when the guard spoke again, Link stood up, thinking of something distinctly non-sexual while pulling on his trousers.   
“Your Highness – we were wondering whether you would like to join us for breakfast? Mistress Link is also more than welcome to join us, unless she is too injured to and needs to rest” Zelda grinned when the Gerudo addressed Link as a Mistress and Link just rolled his eyes, tying up the silk trousers and going to find his top. They really needed to stop with all of this. Surely they knew who he was now. 

“Of course. Both of us will be there shortly.” Zelda gripped the sheet to herself as drew her legs underneath her, pulling them under herself, so she was kneeling. “I told you they’d be waiting for us…” Link smirked grabbing the new silk top and tugging it over his head.

He looked to her as she released her sheet to find her clothes and Link almost hitched his breath, staring at her. There were so many things he wanted to do to her right now, but not when the Gerudo were waiting – they had never been one for patience.   
This was going to be a stressful day. 

Link grabbed his headscarf and veil and walked into the bathroom – so at least he wouldn’t need to look at her getting changed as he had a distinct worry he would not let her do that without his interference. 

Being with her now felt right, but there was still so much he didn’t know.  
He did know he loved her with every fibre in his being.   
But he knew nothing about himself – nothing about his parents. Nothing about his childhood.   
He knew from Zelda that he had joined when he was young and she had told him about his father. But he would never know how he felt about any of those things. And why would she?   
In his heart, he hoped that something would return to him.  
But he knew that if all he could remember were his feelings for her, he would consider himself lucky. 

He looked at himself in the mirror now and started to inspect the bruise over his chest where he was sure he had broken at least one rib. – it would indeed have explained that feeling when he took a deep breath in that morning. 

As he walked back into the room, he could see Zelda having just pulled on her top. Her arms were arched over her head as she was tying a ponytail. Even though he had only been in that bathroom for a few minutes, it still felt like it had been too long to be apart from her. 

He went over to grab the harness with the sword – but instead of reaching out for it he wavered for a brief second.   
The feeling of the sword needing to be with him felt stronger now, and it gave him a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had felt it once before when he pulled the sword out at the Deku tree.   
Link could feel Zelda staring at him, so his hand grasped the harness, pulling it onto his back. He was worried she could hear it now and he didn’t look at her. His heart was beating furiously against his chest – whether it was his sword or the worry of Zelda’s reaction, he did not know. 

\--

Zelda was staring at him intently as he seemed to pause before he lifted the sword up and put it on his back. He looked worried when he turned, and Zelda squinted slightly and tilted her head “Are you okay…?”   
Link studied her, and she thought he would say something else. But instead, he nodded “I’m fine, Your Highness. Shall we go?” he gestured to the door but before they could leave Zelda stepped up to him. There were only a few inches between them “A kiss first…”   
Link seemed a little surprised by this but then placed his hand on her lower back to pull her closer and lean in. Zelda smirked and pulled the veil up, chuckling. Just before he got to her lips, Link smiled “You smell of me…”   
She looked into his eyes and cupped his face with her hand “And I hope I always will…” there was a soft, gentle kiss. Zelda gently pushed her tongue into his mouth, and both of them knew that they needed to stop; otherwise, it was going to go a lot further. 

They left the room, Link was following her as he always did – they were silent as they walked to the throne room and the Guards seemed to all be staring at Link. Likely due to his injuries. Zelda could see the bruise which had appeared over his right chest and just below. The few contusions and lacerations were spread over his arms mainly and then - she suddenly stopped in her tracks and Link almost bumped into her as he had been looking at some of the guards who were glaring at him. 

Link looked confused, and Zelda pulled him over, so they were out of earshot of the guards and Link frowned “What…?” he whispered, and Zelda felt her heart racing furiously. “Your back…” Link raised his eyebrows “What about it…?” he was still whispering.   
“The… um… the scratches” Zelda felt the heat come up into her face and Link suddenly looked very pale before he managed to compose himself. “They’ll just think it’s injuries from yesterday” Link gestured to his flank “It’s not unreasonable.” 

Zelda bit her lip and then lent forward to whisper into Link’s ear directly “Do you think they heard us last night…?” she suddenly felt very nervous and looked around to make sure none of the guards could hear them. “I’m sure it will be fine” he whispered in return and then placed a soft kiss over her neck out of eyeshot of anyone. Zelda felt her heart skip a beat. Link then came away and gestured for her to continue “Your Highness….?” He smirked again, and Zelda huffed. “I hope you’re right…” she shoved him very gently and Link laughed.

Zelda was taken aback by this – it the first time she had heard him laugh since before the shrine. She wanted to embrace him, but instead, they were in the presence of many of the Gerudo guard, and some of them were already looking at them – some of them out of the corner of their eyes, the other had leant forwards, obviously staring at them.   
“Your Highness…” Links voice was becoming slightly more insistent now, and Zelda continued to the throne room.

As they approached one of the Guards accompanied them to one of the side rooms where they had previously had breakfast in the past.

“Lady Riju” the guard stood to attention and RIju, and Bulliara who had been deep in discussion looked towards them. Both of them were sitting on the floor on soft velvet pillows as customary for them when going to eat.  
Laid out in front of them were many sweet pastries and freshly baked rolls and condiments. Zelda was sure she could hear Link’s stomach rumbling. 

“Riju” Zelda smiled, and Riju nodded in respect “Please – sit down. Help yourself to whatever you want.”   
As Zelda went to sit she could see Bulliara glaring at Link, but he seemed far more interested in grabbing something to eat – this time without Zelda’s express permission, but she didn’t mind.   
“I hope, you had a restful evening” Riju darted her eyes to Link, but Link was entirely not interested. He had already taken one of the rolls and put it into his mouth before grabbing one of the pastries.   
“Yes, thank you” Zelda smiled and settled herself on to pillow before helping herself to one of the pastries.   
Riju was following her with her gaze and smirking – Zelda looked upwards and felt her heart starting to race. Had they heard something? 

She looked to Link who clearly wanted to satisfy his appetite before he worried about anything else. He now picked up what looked like a small, red cake which he unceremoniously threw into his mouth.   
Zelda sometimes wondered if he actually enjoyed the food or whether he just wolfed it down in the worry somebody would take it away. She would have to ask him that at a later date. 

“so” Riju sat backwards now, holding a small cup of hot tea. “What did you see on Vah Naboris, Zelda? From Mistress Link’s injuries, it would appear there had been some sort of… resistance?”   
Zelda’s heart was still racing, still worried about anybody having heard anything.  
“It was… There was” she wasn’t entirely sure what to tell her. “It was the Thunderblight” Link had his mouth full and then swallowed. Zelda felt heat rush up into her face – could he not at least have some table manners? No wonder he was never allowed at the table in the royal court. 

“I’m not sure why it was there” he shrugged his shoulders, not looking at Riju and instead grasping another roll – this time one that was crusted in candied nuts. “But whatever it is, it’s gone now.” She could see him look to Riju who had an amused look on her face.   
“Interesting” she placed her hands onto her lap nursing her tea and watched Link for a little while longer before looking to Zelda.   
“I can see Mistress Link is clearly injured from your ordeal. I am aware you will go to the Rito Domain shortly. But please, stay as long as you would like.”   
“Thank you, Riju” Zelda bowed her head in respect and peered to Link she frowned and then elbowed him in the ribs.   
Link grimaced and looked to her and then to Riju “Thank you.”   
Zelda couldn’t believe how much he could eat – but he always had had an appetite which far surpassed his actual stature. 

“RIju – I would like to ask you a favour, if I may” she now ignored Link – she was sure he would start to pay attention once he was finally full.   
Riju nodded “If I can help, then I will”   
Zelda smiled and cast a glance to Link who finally seemed to have curbed his appetite and was now eating pastries at a much slower rate and was looking to Zelda.   
“Riju, I would like to ask you to become Champion of Vah Naboris.” Zelda could see Riju’s eyebrows being raised and she almost thought she could see a smile  
“I am hoping that this will only be an honouree role, of course.” Zelda smiled. Link swallowed and looked to Riju as well, waiting for her response.   
Riju beamed at her suggestion “I would be delighted, Zelda. Thank you” 

Over the last few days, she had never seen Riju smile like that and Zelda couldn’t help but feel pleased with herself.   
Link gave a small smile as well and then started to brush the crumbs off his top, and he looked up, finally seeing Bulliara glare at him, and he frowned. 

“I am wondering whether you may be interested in participating in the Sand Seal races later today, Zelda” Riju smiled, and Link immediately perked up “No” all three of them now were now staring at him – it was not his place to talk, but when Zelda stared at him he stared back. Really, she knew he was right but be damned if she was going to do what he wanted. 

“That would be wonderful” Zelda looked to Link in defiance, and he glowered at her which caused Zelda to smirk. They seemed to be coming into their own habits again, and it made her happy beyond all reason.   
“If we are going to do that we’ll need to practice first…” Link grumbled and looked to Riju – it was evident to all three of them that he was unhappy about this particular development. 

“Well, Mistress Link” Riju almost sniggered “as you are the champion, I believe you are more than able to teach her.”   
Zelda stared at him – he was the champion? He clearly had spent more time in this town than she thought.   
“Very well – I will leave you to finish your breakfast, and we will meet you outside in the pavilion. I would very much like to try to rechallenge you with Patricia, Link” Riju stood, Bulliara did the same before they both left them in the small room. 

“You were the champion?” Zelda questioned him, and Link shrugged “I needed to somehow get some respect among the Gerudo. Be damned if it was with their strange fighting style.” He bit off another piece of roll “I defeated the Yiga, and somehow that didn’t really cut it” his mouth was full “but Sandseals. They love them around here.”   
Link looked to her and stopped. He swallowed “What?” he looked puzzled   
“Link, how much do you actually eat…?” Zelda shook her head and went to reach for another small pastry.   
She could see Link looking around before he leant over to her and whispered “I’m going to need my energy later, am I not?” he smirked and then returned back to eating.   
Zelda could feel the heat in her face which went down to her chest, and her heart was racing. Immediately she felt the butterflies in her stomach.   
She took a deep breath in and shook her head, but smiled. They were finally back to where they were.


	13. Races

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Link participate in the Sand Seal races

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished my Radiotherapy!!  
> Just chemo to go
> 
> Struggling a bit with tiredness - but its all good :)

“I really don’t think this is a good idea” Link sounded worried. Of course, Zelda knew this wasn’t a good idea. But she was still going to do it.  
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry” the bracers she grabbed were made in soft leather, and she could tell they had been used multiple times before. But they did seem a little snug. Link’s voice now sounded concerned but with a hint of irritation.  
“It’s my job to worry, your Highness” he muttered, “When you said you would be participating I thought you were joking…”  
They were given a small room where Zelda was able to get changed, and Link came in to try and dissuade her from being involved in the competition.  
Outside of the town, they could already hear some shouting and cheering. 

Zelda had never been in the domain when these events happened, and she was thrilled to finally be involved.  
“I have always wanted to take part in the races.” Zelda put the other leather bracer on “But Urbosa and my father were of the impression it would be too dangerous” with a shrug she continued “But now I can do what I want” briefly she glanced to him, and she could see his face showed the same expression that his tone portrayed – concern and irritation.  
“Oh Link, stop being so Cantankerous” she huffed slightly. 

Link crossed his arms and glared at her “I really don’t think you should do this.”  
Zelda pursed her lips and held her head up high “Well, I’m doing it anyway.” 

There was a pause between both of them, and Zelda wasn’t entirely sure what was going through Link’s mind. He now was looking slightly more irritated rather than concerned, but before she could think about it more, Link stood up from his cross-legged position and went to grab a leather breastplate.  
“What’s that for?” Zelda queried, looking at him  
“It’s for when you fall flat on your face, Your Highness…” he looked at her wholly deadpan and handed her the plate. 

Zelda could tell she was now being a spoiled Princess – just like she was all those years ago. This time it was more for show, but she wasn’t sure if Link knew that yet. He was certainly becoming frustrated by it – the subtle nuances were easy to spot when you knew what you were looking for. The tightening of his lips. The very slight flaring of the nostrils and the quiet grumbling sound he would make when he was either extremely angry or just extremely done with her behaviour. Although she wondered if they both came hand in hand. 

They had not argued since the shrine, even when Zelda had gone to do some somewhat reckless, or rather stupid, things. Link always seemed to be calm and collected – but she noticed that as they became closer something in him shifted, and she almost felt now as if he was wrapping her in cotton wool. 

There was a moment of silence, and Zelda could see Link assessing the situation.  
“If you wear it…” Link started, and Zelda tilted her head up to show she was listening “Maybe I will make it worth your while later.” Link was trying to suppress a smirk, but Zelda could see the corners of his lips twitching upwards slightly.  
This was certainly not the answer she was expecting, and she felt her heart race and butterflies in her stomach. She knew from looking at Link’s facial expression that he was amused by her outward behaviour and after carefully studying her he tilted his head.  
“So…?” Link raised his eyebrows and looked entirely calm despite what he had just inferred.  
“Fine” Zelda smiled and went to take the chest plate off him  
“Fine” Link nodded in return and then started to look for the old, worn gloves he had put aside for his. 

She watched him and then went to place the chest plate over her head but again she was struggling. Link was there almost immediately and helped to pull the plate over her top. He didn’t look at her though as he went to tighten the straps.  
“Please” he started with a calm voice “Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t do anything reckless.” He then gave a chuckle as he gently secured the last strap, tucking it under her silk top..“Looking after you before the shrine was just as difficult as it is now…” 

Zelda was watching him, and as he briefly glanced to her, she felt her heart skip a beat when she realised what he was implying.  
“Can you remember something?” her glance was now fixed on him and Link shrugged, “I think so.” he then gave out that small laugh he had given out before when they were walking to the throne room “I know that you often defied orders from your Father even then. And-“ Zelda had cut him off and embraced him. She felt Link stiffen up as that happened and he didn’t know where to put his hands. 

Zelda was gripping the back of his shirt and had buried her face into his top. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she just held him. After a while, Zelda felt Link’s hands settle onto her back, and he rested his head over her shoulder, pulling her in slightly closer. There was a long pause, and Link trailed his hand up and down her back before he continued his previous sentence “, And even now you won’t take my advice…” he murmured, but Zelda could tell he was smiling.  
Moving her back from him he brushed a piece of hair out of her face, and behind her ear  
“we better get ready. Otherwise, rumours will be flying around. And Bulliara already seems to have it in for me” Link placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.  
Despite Link moving away, she still wanted to question him.  
“What can you remember then?” She sat on the bed and gripped the sheets, staring at him. 

Link seemed to think about it for a while “You running away.” He spoke slowly, not looking at her. Absentmindedly he started to slowly pull on his gloves “I was angry with you.” The corners of his lips turned downwards, and he looked almost pained. “But then, when I found you…” his facial expression softened and he looked to her “Being incredibly relieved. And Happy” 

Of course, Zelda knew what he was talking about. They only just left Gerudo town when she decided to run off. She had such a disdain for him – but she had been incredibly lucky he had found her before the Yiga had gotten to her.  
“The Legendary Hero outwitted by a wilful Princess…” she smiled and looked to Link who tilted his head slightly, and she realised that maybe she should not be joking about it.  
But then Link gave her a smug look “As if you could ever outwit me, Your Highness. I think you are getting too big for your boots.”  
He laughed again, and Zelda felt her heart flutter as he did so and her heart lifted once more.  
“I can’t remember the last time I heard you laugh, Link” there was a brief moment where Link looked to her before giving a brief shrug “There hadn’t been a lot to laugh about.”  
“And now…?” Zelda queried, gripping the bed sheets. Her heart was racing, but she wasn’t sure why. And she wasn’t sure why she needed to ask him anyway. 

A smile tugged at Links' lips, and he cocked his head “Do I really need to spell it out for you…?”  
“Yes.” Zelda couldn’t help herself now.  
With a small exasperated sigh, Link walked over to her and leaned over her, placing one of his hands over hers and cupping her face with his hand. He set a soft kiss onto her lips and when Zelda tried to pull him in further, wanting to drag him onto the bed Link pulled back “I’ve told you. We need to get going. We’ve been in here too long already.” 

Link pulled her up with a strength that Zelda knew he had, but she was always surprised by.  
Although he wanted to release her hand Zelda grasped it properly and pulled him into her, she never wanted to let go of him. She worried if she did, he would forget her again.  
“Your Highness…” Link’s voice was now getting more insistent “We need to go.” 

Then there was a loud shout and cheering from outside – even Zelda knew they needed to get going, no matter how much she wanted to stay with him, in this room.  
“Come on” Links voice was gentler now, and he pulled away from her to grab the veil and headscarf. 

Initially, Zelda just felt the aching of being apart from him again, but then she came back into her senses and looked at him “Why are you not wearing any armour?” she gestured to him and furrowed her brow. Link looked downwards while adjusting his veil. “Because I know what I am doing.” 

\--

Both of them were being observed closely by some of the Gerudo Guards as Link was trying to teach her how to at least do some of the simple manoeuvres of steering a sandseal. He was standing just behind her, holding her hands as she adjusted the reigns.  
Thankfully the seal they had now been given was incredibly docile and would occasionally even roll itself over on the sand, yawning and waving his flippers when he was on his back.

However, it did cause problems with the harness as he would get tangled up and some of the Gerudo Women would get angry with him and would need to repeatedly untangle him.  
Zelda was trying her very best to focus on the task at hand. But with Link standing so close behind her, she was finding it difficult.  
“When you want the Seal to steer right, you loosen the left reign, and then you pull on the right” Link pulled Zelda’s right hand inward and loosed the grip on the left. Even though she was trying to concentrate when she felt Links hand brush against her waist she felt her heart skip a beat. 

“Your Highness, Concentrate” Link whispered into her ear, frowning and he spoke with a sense of unease. Zelda felt a shiver run down her spine as she felt his warm breath against her neck “I’m trying to” she whispered back not wanting to look at him. Otherwise, she was sure she would start to blush.  
Then Link cleared his throat and moved backwards slightly, running his hands to her wrists.  
Zelda now felt a gentle blush developing over her face as she thought about that morning and she cursed herself. She needed to be level-headed. Lady Riju and the entirety of the Gerudo clan were there, and she needed to be respected as she would have been 100 years ago. Why was this so hard? 

“Your Highness” Link’s voice was almost a hiss now, and she could see him nervously darting his eyes around the Gerudo guard. Some of them were starting to whisper amongst themselves.  
“Thank you, Mistress Link” Zelda had to clear her throat now, and she turned, looking at the floor “I will be fine.”  
Link nodded in relief and stepped backwards.

Before he could say anything one of the other Gerudo women stepped forward “Very well, Lady Hyrule. Shall we lead you to the race?”  
The woman was slightly older than Bulliara and had the same leather Bracers on as herself. All of the Gerudo women had tanned skin – but this womans' looked leathery and wrinkled.  
“Come.” The woman grabbed Zelda’s arm and pulled her towards the race. Zelda must have frowned as the Gerudo Woman immediately released her arm “I apologise, Lady Hyrule. I am not used to handling people. Let alone people of your kind.”  
Zelda furrowed her brow and stared at her – not sure if she should be offended or not.  
“I am far more able to deal with the strength of the Sand Seals. My name is Raelek, Lady Hyrule.”  
Raelek tried to give a smile, but Zelda was not sure if that really helped or not. She appeared slightly awkward around people in general – but maybe it was just Hylians. 

Raelek was still ushering Zelda towards the competition where four other young girls were on the starting line – holding their Sandseals with ease and grace.  
Zelda was almost entirely sure that is not what she would look like.  
“Now, Lady Hyrule – this is your Seal. Her name is Kara.” Raelek had grabbed the reins and handed them to Zelda “Kara is a good girl. She is a lot calmer than some of the others.” 

Zelda hesitated glancing at the reigns. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, and maybe Urbosa, her Father and even Link had been right. She glanced over to Link standing a fair distance away from them, in the shade of the pavilion. He crossed his arms and was looking at her, but from this distance, she could not see his expression. 

Then another woman came up beside him, and Link looked to her. She was talking, and Zelda could see Link smiling and answering her. She felt a pang of jealousy in her. But it was obviously ridiculous – they all thought he was a woman.  
But she also was aware that those sorts of relationships were not certainly not frowned upon in the Gerudo Kingdom. And the way that the Gerudo woman placed her hand on his forearm made Zelda purse her lips in disapproval. 

“Lady Hyrule…?” Raelek spoke again, and Zelda flexed in shock “I’m sorry. Yes.” She looked to Raelek and then to the reigns which she grabbed.  
“Very well. The Seal will behave as much as they ever do” Raelek had released the reigns and came forward, pulling the Seal straight again with some force. But Kara did not seem to be in any way troubled by this. 

“Lady Hyrule…?” Raelek looked at her as did the other four girls who would be racing with her. That was it then, she had made her mind – it was too late now. “Yes”  
She pulled her reigns up to herself, as Link had taught her.  
Raelek nodded and then stepped backwards.

“At’ten!” the seals immediately perked up, all of them looking forward, standing to attention.  
Raelek waited, looking to all of the seals before shouting again “AYA!” 

With a force that Zelda was not expecting from this docile looking seal, Kara lunged forwards, and she needed to hold herself on the shield. She just needed to get through this race. She could do this. 

\--

Why did he let her do this? Link was standing at the end of the pavilion and was watching Raelek usher Zelda towards the starting line. He was shifting uncomfortably and almost felt he wanted to run over and just pull her back from the race and back into his protection where she should be.  
He had only just been able to come to terms with the memories and the emotions he had developed in their relationship. And it seemed incredibly foolish to let her be out of his site again in a hugely dangerous situation.  
She was being spoken to by Raelek at the starting line, and when she looked over to him, Link felt his heart plummet. That was it – he needed to get her. Maybe she changed her mind.  
But before he could start to run towards her a hand was placed onto his shoulder.  
“Sav’aaq, Mistress Link” Link recognised Ilals voice immediately, and he glanced to her “Sav’aaq, Ilal.” 

Immediately Link’s gaze was back on Zelda who was still staring up at him, and Link tightened his lips. He should go and get her.  
“So, Link. How has your time away from our Domain been?” Ilal spoke with a beautiful, languid tone, almost sensual. Very different to the usual annoyed, clipped tones that the guards used – especially Bulliara.  
“Eventful” Link’s own tone now was short and firm as he still was focussing on Zelda. 

“Another injury, Link?” Ilal had placed her hand onto his forearm and lifted it slightly, revealing the bruise to Link’s right chest. He almost flinched, but thought better of it and looked to her briefly with the smallest of smiles, pulling his arm away. “It’s fine.”  
He had never been one to let others touch him – it had only ever been Mipha and Zelda.  
Even when Sidon went to embrace him, he always felt exceptionally uncomfortable. 

“Oh, come on Link. You are so stubborn. Just like a Gerudo Vai should be” Ilal gave him a smile. Link knew that she was a beautiful woman. Her olive skin was soft and smooth, and her orange hair was pulled up into a bun with a few stray pieces that had fallen away – framing her face. But Link, as ever, saw nothing of that. And he was still trying to focus on Zelda – Raelek now seemed to be giving her instructions and last-minute advice.

“Come, Link. If I get you a Noble Pursuit, maybe you can tell me more about some of your new scars. I would love to hear how you got them” Link furrowed his brow ever so briefly and looked to her. The Gerudo were a strange race – there were indeed not many people who would find anything endearing about talking about scars.  
Link shook his head “No, thank you, Ilal.”  
However, Ilal still persisted. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours…?” Ilal gave a small smirk, and Link squinted a little, peering at her.  
In a way, he would much rather not know about crushes, infatuations and desires. Zelda had told him all of this since the shrine in the hope of eliciting memories, but all it had done was give Link a new revelation about women which he wasn’t sure he wanted.  
He knew that this is what Ilal wanted now. Her sensual voice, her tactile nature and the mischievous suggestion of her last sentence. 

As he looked at her, he could see her seductive glance and Link didn’t really know what to do with himself. He wasn’t sure how to let her down gently and given she was a Gerudo she would want to know who she had been outclassed by so she could challenge them to a fight.  
There was no reason for Zelda having told him about women's desires – he would have quite happily lived in his completely oblivious state. 

Thankfully before Link could think of anything to say there was a loud shout from the starting line “At’ten!”  
Immediately his gaze was focussed on Zelda again, and even Ilal went to look to the races. 

“AYA!” 

And then they had started. Link saw Zelda be lunged forward by the seal on the metal plate and she looked like she was going to fall. Quickly though she had found her feet again and started to adjust the reigns. Link felt his heart race in earnest, and he didn’t realise quite how stressful this was going to be. Maybe he would need that drink.  
“Lady Hyrule is doing well…” Ilal put her hands on her hips and smirked “you have trained her well, Mistress Link” Ilal now grinned. 

Link didn’t say anything and was still watching her closely. At one of the corners he held his breath, but she took it well and immediately straightened up, overtaking one of the other racers.  
The race was now going to be out of eyesight for a small while and Link clenched his jaw. He should have seen that before.  
All of the racers disappeared as the sand dune dipped downwards, and Link heard his drill officer in his head

_Don’t ever take your eyes off her._

Then two of the riders emerged from the Dunes, their seals pulling them forwards with eager energy. Link started to relax slightly as Zelda surfaced – and in 3rd place. 

Link was not entirely sure if he should be happy with this or concerned about her reckless behaviour. But even from a distance, he could tell how ecstatic she looked. There was only one corner to go, and they would be on the home straight. 

He pulled himself away from Ilal and jogged over to the finish line which was close to the pavilion.  
Hoping very much that she would be able to come off the shield in a slightly more elegant way than before.  
Even though he wanted to shout encouragement to her, it would not be appropriate for someone in his role, and he could already see Bulliara glowering at him, so he stood beside her, waiting for the racers to finish. 

Zelda came in 3rd and somehow managed to come off her shield in a slightly more graceful manner. Link finally relaxed his shoulders and took a deep breath. Thank goddesses she was back. As slowly as he was able to, he walked over to her, trying not to smile or make any sort of facial expression.

But Zelda had no such problems and was elated with her performance. The other racers were shouting her name, congratulating her on finishing and Link felt she may as well have come first based on the behaviour of the other competitors. 

“Well done, Your Highness” Link was trying his very best not to smile, not to do anything that would show his real emotions and Zelda stopped, beaming at him. Even though he wanted to embrace her and kiss her Link restrained himself. Thankfully there was only going to be one race. His heart couldn’t take much more of this. 

“Thank you, Link” Zelda smiled, and Link could see it blossoming from within her – causing her eyes to sparkle “But this time, I want to come in first.”

Link’s heart plummeted. More of this?  
Now he needed that drink.


	14. Mipha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mipha comes back into Link's memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOW I am starting to feel the exhaustion...  
> radiotherapy is a bitch.

The sun had set hours ago, and yet in the Pavillion just outside of Gerudo Town the celebrations only seemed to begin. The cold, crisp desert air was being offset by the warm glow of a large bonfire which was placed in the centre of the festivities. But the real star of this all was the food. The blankets were barely showing due to the vast quantities of food spread over them.  
Whole roasted pigs and sheep and in the middle a goat still turning on a spit.  
Countless cheeses, vegetables and loaves of bread were spread out over the colourful blankets, and the wine was flowing freely. 

Link was sitting adjacent to Zelda, happily tucking into his food with a second plate in front of him already piled up with delicacies.  
Although he wanted to save space for dessert, he couldn’t help but find something else he needed to try. And all of it was so delicious that so he ended up having seconds.  
Due to his constant eating, no one decided to talk to him – and he was glad of that.  
Instead, all he did was listen to Zelda, laughing and giggling and doing what a normal girl of her age should be doing. She was talking to the other Gerudo who had been competing with her in the races, but Link was not following any of their conversations.

Zelda was starting to move closer and closer to Link, casting small glances to him.  
But as the alcohol started to flow, Link noticed her glances lingering slightly longer than what they should. 

Suddenly Link was very aware of how close Zelda was sitting to him – their legs were nearly touching, and when Zelda went to put her hand onto his knee he glanced over to Riju and who was clearly staring at them, sipping her drink. 

This was not okay. When they were in public, Link needed to be Zelda's protector, and nothing else. 

In the Zora Kingdom, it was different. There had been no conflict as at that point Link would never even consider having any relationship with Zelda.  
With no real reason he could fathom, he started to feel guilty about Mipha and about how she felt. He wasn’t entirely sure where that thought came from.

Link developed a headache, and he wasn’t sure if it was due to the alcohol or due to memories coming back to him. He unquestionably did not like those emotions and would rather he stayed ignorant to them. But then that caused his heart to sink – he should be happy he could remember something about Mipha. And not be disappointed. 

“Your Highness, I’ll be back” Link didn’t look to her and stood from his cross-legged position. He could see Zelda looking up to him out of the corner of his eye. She had concern etched across her face. He didn’t say anything to that and moved away from the festivities, leaving Zelda sitting alone.

He wondered if he had had those opposing feelings before the shrine as well.  
Walking over to the back of the pavilion he sat just outside the Raqa Sunso shrine, sighing and trailing his hand through his hair.  
Goddesses everything had felt so right with Zelda and why did he now have those feelings about Mipha. 

When they had gone to the Zora Kingdom, he had fallen back into his role as Zelda's Knight attendant. Only her knight attendant. But this also meant that he had become more subdued and nowhere near as carefree as he had been. 

Sidon had taken him to one side at one point and asked him if anything had happened. And why he was now suddenly less talkative. He agreed that even before he had never been chatty, but he seemed a lot less uptight.  
He wasn’t sure he had an answer for that and had just shrugged at the notion that anything could be wrong. 

He started to think more about Mipha and how he had grown up with her. When he was assigned to be Zelda’s Knight attendant, their bond had started to fade. He felt that he somehow betrayed her. The thought came into his mind that maybe they had kissed? Perhaps he was with her in the way that he had been with Zelda the night before. 

“Link?” Link startled when he heard his name but knew who it was said by. Zelda stood to the side of him “are you okay…?” 

“Memories,” Link said nothing further, but Zelda’s face lit up. He wished he hadn’t mentioned it- she would now want to know about it all.  
“of what?” she smiled, and Link clenched his jaw slightly. He stayed silent “What?” Zelda now looked troubled, frowning at him with a questioning look. 

“Mipha.” Link didn’t want to say anything more. Mainly because he didn’t know precisely what the memories were.  
Maybe these were private memories, not to be shared with anyone else. Links heart started to beat slightly faster, and he tightened his lips. He could feel Zelda’s gaze boring into his skull, but he said nothing, staring at the floor. 

“Link, I know you loved her” Zelda spoke quietly, but Link immediately looked up, staring at her. How could she know that? He didn’t even know that. She knew that Mipha had made the armour for him. She had seen him in it. And when she did, he could remember her forcing a smile when she said he looked good.  
Of course, Zelda knew what it meant and why it was made. 

But how could she know how he felt about her?  
She didn’t even know his birthday. his mothers’ name – anything about him. How could Zelda possibly know about his feelings for Mipha? 

As Zelda opened her mouth to speak again, Link stood, cutting her off.  
“How could you _possibly_ know that?” Links voice was firm “Just leave me alone. I need to be alone” he regretted saying it in such a harsh tone when he saw her face.  
He didn’t mean to harm her in any way. But he couldn’t cope with all of those feelings crashing over him.  
Zelda stepped backwards, she looked upset. Instead of Link going over to hold her he turned, moving from the shrine and over to the desert, skidding down one of the dunes. Tears were welling up even though there was no reason why. He didn’t feel upset – he felt angry. Angry for not knowing how Mipha felt.  
He just needed to be alone. 

\--

Zelda watched Link leave although she knew he needed to be alone, she went to follow him.  
He never left her alone like that, so suddenly. Even, when he went to Vah Ruta, he needed to be absolutely sure she would be protected by the Zora Guards, with King Dorephan nearby.  
Zelda excused herself from the others and put her mug onto the blanket before pushing herself upwards.  
She saw Riju looking at her, much like she followed Link with her gaze.  
Of course, she knew that Zelda would be following him, but right now she didn’t care about the consequences. 

Link was sitting on the stone steps of the shrine, he looked despondent, and he had leaned forward, trailing his hands through his blonde hair. He still had that veil over his face, and even though she couldn’t see his mouth, his eyes looked sad.  
Zelda paused for a moment, watching him put his elbows over his knees. 

She moved forwards slightly more and then spoke “Link?”  
She could see Link startle, and when he looked to her, she could see anger and sadness in his eyes. Although she wanted to wait to try and see if he would respond himself, she needed to know what was happening. “are you okay?” 

Zelda was trying to see something in his face – anything.  
He sat up, and sighed “Memories.”  
Zelda felt her heart beat faster and she couldn’t help but smile “Of what?” for her it seemed incredible that he was having all of these memories with her – he was starting to open up so much.  
But then he clenched his jaw, and she saw him tightening his lips.  
“Of what?” she needed to know, even if she felt she didn’t want to. 

“Mipha”  
Zelda’s heart plummeted.  
She knew that there had been something going on with them – she always thought it was just friendship. But seeing Link in that armour she felt something in the pit of her stomach – she wasn’t sure if it was guilt or maybe jealousy. 

She didn’t know what to say now, so she said the first thing that came to mind “Link, I know you loved her” she spoke quietly and regretted saying it as Link looked up to her with anger and disappointment.  
Before she could say anything else to try and appease her statement Link stood, gesturing to her and making her stop.  
“How could you _possibly_ know that? Just, leave me alone.” Zelda felt her heart break into two “I need to be alone” Link’s tone was firm, and it was clear he wasn’t going to be argued with. Zelda remained silent.  
He turned and was striding towards the desert, skilfully sliding down one of the dunes before disappearing into the darkness.

Zelda stood there silently. The frostiness of the desert air was starting to creep up her spine. She placed her arms around her waist, holding her self to shield herself against the cold.  
She wanted to cry. They had made so much progress, and now he just went – leaving her alone. He never left her alone. 

Now she sat on the stone steps of the shrine.  
Zelda could remember his words when they first saw each other after those 100 years.  
When she had imagined what would happen on that fateful day – she imagined Link standing in front of her. She thought he would have had a smile on his face and would have run to her, casting his sword and shield to one side, embracing her. But it was not like that.  
Instead, he looked at her with some confusion. 

_“I have seen you. But…”_

Zelda had been distraught. Everything she had imagined over 100 years was gone. And she was left with a stranger again – much as she had been when Link was first assigned to her. 

It had been awkward when they first were together – Link wasn’t sure how to behave in front of a Princess. Let alone this Princess. Even though he had wanted to direct her on where to go, he wasn’t sure if he should. Only with Zelda’s persistence was she able to get him to take her a far more direct route to Kakariko village. There, they met Impa.  
Paya and Impa had obviously noticed Link’s behaviour changes – but said nothing. 

She had spoken to Impa alone after that, worried about his memory and about what the shrine had done to him. 

_“You need to be careful with that boy. He remembers nothing. I am not sure that he will ever know how he felt about you… If those memories ever do return to him, then be gentle exploring them. But be aware, there may be nothing.”_

Impa had spoken calmly and quietly, and Zelda needed to try and make herself not cry as she talked. 

For those few months after she had been rescued Impa was right. There was nothing. But now so many memories were coming back to Link – so quickly.  
She had been so committed to finding memories about her – about their relationship. Maybe she had been too forceful – perhaps she should have helped Link, instead of pushing him to remember her.  
She had been selfish.  
Now she worried about what she had done. Although she wanted to go with him, she wanted to talk to him about all of it, to apologise - she couldn’t. She didn’t want to hurt him anymore. 

\--

By the time Link had stopped walking the noises from the celebrations could not be heard any more – all he could see was the faint glow of the fire.  
He had been wiping the constant tears off his face, and it was making him angry – he didn’t know why this was happening. His felt his emotional response was done – but his physical reaction was unending. For a while, he wondered if it would ever stop. 

He took a deep breath and then sat on the sandy floor – looking upwards to the dark sky.  
He pulled the veil off his face and took in a deep breath of the crisp night air. Again, he felt tears run down his face, and he swore under his breath, wiping them off.  
His thoughts wondered to Mipha. That memory was coming back to him – how she sat next to him on Vah Ruta. Their knees had brushed together slightly as Mipha went to adjust herself.  
She was holding his forearm, and that warm glow of her healing powers ran through him. It was the same sensation he had whenever he felt he was going to collapse and it was Mipha who was able to bring him back from that feeling. 

He felt guilty for not feeling what Mipha did – he felt an undying friendship towards her, but nothing else. In his heart, he knew they hadn’t had sex. But he knew that they kissed. He could remember Mipha coming over to him and, in a brief moment of confidence, she had placed her lips onto his. The kiss has been awkward and slightly clumsy.  
But he enjoyed it – there was no doubt about that. But for him, there was nothing more than friendship. 

He wished he could speak to her now. He had so many questions that he didn’t have when he defeated the Waterblight in Vah Ruta.  
Finally, he felt as if the tears were stopping, so he wiped his face one last time.  
He found himself relaxing and leant forward again, closing his eyes. 

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that, but he now felt the cold. And when he moved the icy cold sheath of the sword brushed against his back. He hadn’t brought anything to cover him – not a shawl or a blanket. He would need to get back to the town – even with his strength, he would not be able to last out here for long without any warming potions or herbs.  
And he needed to get back to Zelda – he shouldn’t have left her like that. He had a duty, and he shouldn’t have just shunned it due to his emotions. His Drill officer would undoubtedly have had something to say about the abandonment of his duty.  
He pushed himself up off the floor and started to walk back to the festivities, almost falling into a jog to keep warm. 

He didn’t know how long he had been away – but judging by how much quieter the celebrations were, he wondered if it had been longer than he thought.  
Zelda was no longer there, and he panicked slightly thinking she could have left to try and find him.  
His heart was beating faster now as he looked over the small number of stragglers who still remained – drinking the last of the wine. 

“She has gone back to her chambers” Link turned and saw Bulliara, her arms crossed with a stern look on her face.  
Link tightened his lips and then nodded. As he went to leave Bulliara stopped him “I don’t know what you did. But she looked unhappy. You should never leave your charge when she is emotional. Even you should know that.” She glared at him, and Link furrowed his brow “I am aware of my duties, Bulliara.” 

She just gave a huff “I am not sure you do. One of our guards is with her.” She gestured to him “Leave. We will talk in the morning” Link clenched his jaw but didn’t want to get into any sort of argument with her. He respected her too much, as much as he hated it.  
Instead, he nodded and left.


	15. The Sheikah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link returns  
> and  
> A new threat looms on the horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all 
> 
> This is a slightly longer chapter than what I thought it would be... but yeah
> 
> So, smut -can be missed if needed 
> 
> I am aware this is going to be a long fic, because reasons. 
> 
> Thanks all

There was no way she could sleep.  
Zelda had been pacing around her room for the last few hours – she couldn’t even lay herself in her bed as her heart was racing furiously.  
She did wonder how much of this was due to the alcohol which was slowly starting to wear off as it was accompanied by a pounding headache and a dry mouth.  
She did try to drink some water, but even that made her feel nauseous.

Bulliara found her not long after Link had left. She was trying not to cry at that point, but she could see Bulliara glaring after where Link had disappeared.  
She asked her to return to the celebrations, but Zelda rejected it outright. All she wanted was to get back to her room.

Bulliara couldn't let her leave with alone, so a guard was quickly sent after her, following her with swift, even steps until Zelda arrived. And although she very much wanted to just slam the door shut she restrained herself and nodded to the guard out of courtesy. 

The door was closed, and Zelda found herself alone. However, she heard the guard moving to her post to guard the door - even though that is not what she wanted. 

Her thoughts quickly went back to Link, and her heart plummeted when she thought he wouldn't come back to her. Everything seemed to overwhelm him, and not in a good way.  
She shouldn't have told him how he felt about Mipha, it was not her job and she, of course, would never know. The friendship they had was essential to Link's being - it was not fair to tell him any of the feelings he had towards her. 

Before she could think about it further, there was a commotion outside of her door. There was an argument being had between the guard and another voice. Link's voice.  
Her heart leapt when she heard him, but she stayed in her room, despite the fact she wanted to run out to him immediately to embrace him and tell him how sorry she was. 

But instead, she waited, her hands clutched into fists by her side with her heart thundering in her ears.  
Then there was a stern voice which seemed to end the dispute. Footsteps now started to fade away, and Zelda wasn't sure who they came from. 

There was a long silence before Zelda heard the door latch and she held her breath. As she saw him, she almost burst into tears but controlled herself when she saw how dishevelled and unsettled he looked. His gaze was now fixed on her, and his face softened slightly. The door was closed gently, and Link locked it for good measure. 

Instead of speaking, Link opened his arms very slightly, and Zelda felt a sense of relief. She walked towards him and placed her arms around his neck.  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did..." Zelda murmured, burying her face into his shoulder. She felt tears welling up but was trying not to cry.  
She didn't want to upset him even more. 

Link sighed and placed his arms around her waist, pulling her in. He kissed her neck softly “Don’t.” he spoke with a calm voice “Don’t apologise.”  
His hand moved her head, stroking over her silky hair.

“But I shouldn’t have-“ Zelda felt her voice breaking as she spoke and Link cut her off “I did love her” his voice remained gentle, and Zelda’s heart was now racing in the apprehension of what he would say next. “But not in that way. Not in the way I love you.”  
Zelda felt relief rush over her, and she gave out a sigh of happiness which almost made her feel guilty when she thought about Mipha. She was thinking of what to say, but she didn't want to hurt him anymore. So she remained silent. 

Slowly Link moved her away, shifting the hand from the back of her head to just under her ear and with his thumb, he swept over her cheek. Zelda thought he would say something, but instead, he leaned into her. His lips touched hers before he pulled away looking into her eyes quickly and then moved back in, pressing his lips against hers.  
As Zelda opened her mouth, she slid her tongue into him, sliding over his teeth, tasting the faint hint of red wine which still lingered. As she breathed in, she could smell his musky scent, and even that sent that warm feeling to her stomach. 

Zelda wanted to pull the kiss deeper, but Link moved away. She felt slightly disappointed but tried not to show it.  
Link tightened his lips and then reluctantly pulled his hand from around her waist.  
Zelda knew what he was referring to and she tried to give him a smile.  
Her hands were moved gently from behind his neck and crossed in front of her. She felt slightly rejected, but obviously, she understood. 

The same forced smile came from Link before he looked away, pulling his sword off his back with the familiar _'shing'_ sound.  
He then sat cross-legged on the floor with a large sigh and pulled a cloth out the pocket on his harness. The blade was arranged gently over his knees, and he started to polish it. 

Now he was utterly oblivious to what was going on around him, and Zelda knew that faraway look he got when he was sitting alone like that. She always used to wonder what he was thinking about when it happened – but at least this time she knew. 

Even though it took a while, Zelda uncrossed her arms and started to pull herself together again looking for the nightgown the Gerudo had given her. It was still casually thrown on the floor from a few nights ago. Usually, she would have gotten undressed privately, but this time she knew he was completely immersed in his task. The only thing that would bring him out of his trance would be any signs of a confrontation.

Zelda pulled off her dress and pulled the silk nightgown over her head with Link carefully peering at her from the corner of his eyes before resuming his task.  
He was now leaning against one of the beds for support - the bed they had been in together. And Zelda knew the sheets would smell of him.  
She lingered for a while, but as Link was entirely absorbed in his task, she moved onto their bed, pulling the sheets over her.  
As she breathed in it smelt deliciously of him and it sent that warm feeling to her stomach again.  
She nestled into the sheets and sighed with contentment and relief that he was with her. 

Just as she was beginning to drift off, she heard something – her ears twitched, and she noticed it was Link placing his sword onto the floor. As she felt the mattress dip, she turned over, sitting herself up slightly “Are you okay…?” 

Link had moved up onto the mattress and moved over to her. Zelda felt butterflies in her stomach as she noticed he had already taken off his top. He pushed her gently back into the bed.

“I just…” he sighed and then moved into her, his lips almost touching hers “Can’t stay away…” Zelda felt his lips brush against her, like butterfly wings “I feel I should… but I’m sorry. I can’t” he was whispering now and stroked her hairline looking into her eyes. He clearly didn't want to push himself onto her, and he waited patiently for Zelda's response. 

So she drew him in, pushing her lips against his and Link gave out a small groan in satisfaction as he moved over her pulling her silk gown up with the movement of his body.  
His hand started to move downwards, tracing over the silk she was wearing until he got to her upper thigh which he slowly pulled upwards causing Zelda to whimper into the kiss as he pushed into her naked crotch. 

Zelda wanted to pull the kiss deeper, but Link seemed to be more restrained now than what he was the night before.  
He pulled away, staring into her eyes. His other hand was bracketing beside her head. They said nothing and Zelda brought him back in again, softly kissing him as he seemed to want, cupping her hand around his head.  
Link seemed to the pleased with the loss of urgency, and he pulled her gown up slightly more, the silk sliding over her body with ease. Once he reached the curve of her breast, he sat up, kneeling and dragging himself away from her lips. 

Zelda knew what he wanted, and so she sat up, holding her arms above her head so he could remove her nightgown. As he tugged it off her, he moved his gaze to her body, and Zelda felt a brief shiver pass through her as he looked at her with such an intense desire. Instead of pushing her back down to the bed, Link moved his hand around her waist and kissed her with the same want he had when he was looking at her. 

His hand wandered the back of her neck, keeping her there so he could push his tongue into her mouth, intertwining it with hers.  
Zelda noticed that he was now becoming slightly more eager and now she needed to try and set the pace a little. 

“Slowly…” she murmured into the kiss, teasingly and Link protested, pulling away “You are not making it easy…” he looked her up and down again and breathed in deeply “Goddesses Zelda…”  
He moved her into him, and he pressed his lips against her, trailing his hand over her lower back and then to the side of her abdomen, and Zelda gave out a giggle “I’m ticklish…” she pulled his hand away, and Link smirked. “Oh, you are?” he pushed her back onto the bed, moving her wrists above her head, holding her there.

He moved his lips to hers, gently grazing them against hers and he ran his hand to the curve of her breast.  
Every time he touched her body it felt like electricity was running through her – initially, the sensation was that of tickling, and she was finding it hard not to laugh, but as he moved further over her breasts she whimpered gently.  
She tried to lean into him to kiss him, but he was still holding her wrists above her head, and he pushed her further in. 

"You started it..." Link smirked, and he moved back into her - Zelda could feel his warm breath against her neck, and he kissed her just below her jaw running his hand back to her breasts. His touch was so light as he moved up to her nipple, gently brushing against it with his hand. 

Zelda squirmed under him and arched her back, closing her eyes giving out a soft moan.  
He was pleased with this vocal approval, and he gave out a small guttural groan from the back of his throat, next to Zelda’s ear, and she felt those sounds running through her stomach to between her legs. 

As soon as Link released her wrists, she ran her hands to his lower stomach, and Link chuckled "What are you doing?" he moved the hand from her wrists to hold himself up.  
“Doing, what you are doing…” 

Link didn’t stop her as she moved her hand into his underwear – he was hard, and she went to grasp him gently. Even though she had no practical experience, she had some sort of notion on how to give a man pleasure. 

She moved her hand up and down his shaft, and Link groaned slightly “Zelda…” he almost hissed her name, and Zelda smirked. She was enjoying it, and she moved her hand up and down at a leisurely pace. Link was becoming harder, and now he was now no longer touching her. She felt satisfied that she was able to do that to him. 

Link then stopped her hand, gently holding her wrist.  
“I would far rather have you…” he growled slightly under his breath and kissed her passionately. 

He pulled her hand out and moved it beside her waist releasing it but continuing down to her lower stomach and between her legs.  
Zelda's heart raced in anticipation, and when Link dipped his finger into her folds he pulled away from the kiss, smiling "Already?" he leaned back into her, brushing against her nose and then very softly kissed her. 

Zelda wanted to say something, but when Link moved to her opening and pushed one of his fingers into her, she whimpered and gripped the sheets. Link couldn't help but hold his breath and then groaned when he felt how wet she was, immediately moving to her mouth and pushing his tongue into her as she moaned in pleasure.  
A second finger followed swiftly, and every time he pushed into her, he brushed against her clit.

Zelda moved her hands over his chest, and she arched her back slightly, causing Link to come away from her lips. So he moved to her jaw and her neck, trailing his tongue along it.  
"Take me..." she gasped as Link nipped her neck gently and she whined in response "Please." 

“are you sure?” he whispered and started to make a come-hither movement with his fingers causing her to hitch her breath, and her heart beat faster. She felt that tension building up in her again. Link smirked and caressed her neck. 

Every time he moved she felt the heat increasing in her stomach until he stopped and pulled his fingers out of her – Zelda whined now, gasping for breath, longing for him to continue. Before she could say anything, Link had tugged his trousers down and tossed them on the floor. He moved over and pulled her onto him, so she was straddling him. Link remained sitting up and kissed her shoulder. 

With a small movement, he moved into her slick centre, and Zelda moaned, feeling herself tighten around him as he entered her fully. She placed one of her hands over his chest, and the other over his shoulder.  
"You okay...?" Link was breathless as he looked up to her. He remained motionless in her, not wanting to cause her any pain. 

Zelda just nodded enthusiastically and tried herself to move against him causing Link to groan. He bent his knees, pushing her further onto him and placed a hand onto her hip, the other over her shoulder.  
With her now having the control she held him slightly tighter, and she moved over him. Every time she did, she felt him move in her in a completely different way from yesterday. 

She was already gasping within a few minutes but noticed that Link also was. His hand now moved over her lower back, trying to reduce her pace. "There's no rush..." he whispered into her ear and swept her hair over her neck so he could kiss her. 

Zelda gradually slowed down, although she was finding it difficult. As she did decrease her movements, she felt some friction against her clit, and she arched her back, so it became more intense.  
The noise she was making was now was becoming a keening hum, and Link was panting and groaning, his eyes closed.

With a spontaneous movement, Zelda forced Link downwards, pushing him onto the bed and she remained upright, her hands on his lower stomach. She was catching her breath again, and Link moved both of his hands over her hips.  
They both waited for a while until Zelda started to move again - Link was staring at her, not wanting to close his eyes. 

In response Zelda smiled and moved her hands over her breasts, slowly massaging them and then one of her hands travelled down between her legs.  
Link was now thoroughly engrossed in her movements, and when she went to touch herself, Link almost whined causing Zelda to smirk in satisfaction.  
Then she moved to her clit, and she moaned deeply, pushing herself against him. 

She started to rub herself gently, and that heat and sensation in her lower body increased. However, she was trembling so much she was finding it difficult to make herself come, especially when Link was still so deep in her.  
She whined softly, and Link saw it as a response for him to move both of his hands to her hips to start to thrust into her causing Zelda to gasp and her heart to race further. 

She still had her hand over her clit and found Link's thrusting was causing her hand to slide over that sensitive area and her moaning was now becoming slightly higher pitched. And with a sudden crash, it all came down over her, pleasure rushing over her body with her quivering from the intensity. 

She was clenching around Link, but despite this he moved her over, pushing her onto the bed. He pulled her leg upwards and thrust into her, kissing her passionately, shoving his tongue into her mouth as she moaned.  
Zelda felt that pleasure build up again and she knew it was going to happen again "Come for me..." Link spoke, still breathless and almost on the verge himself.  
Zelda gripped his shoulders, sure that she had scratched him, and then came again.  
As she clenched around him again, Link groaned deeply and spilt himself into her, thrusting as long as he could. 

Her gasping continued for a while, her hands were gripping his shoulders, and her vision remained blurry with stars scattered over it.  
Link kissed her neck softly and then moved out of her, collapsing on the bed, breathless.  
He then pulled her into him, settling her into the crook of his arm, kissing her hairline. 

"I love you..." he turned over, looking into her eyes and Zelda remained entirely breathless, unable to respond, and Link smirked. "I think you should sleep..."  
Zelda closed her eyes and nodded. He moved over, settling his head just above hers.  
"I was jealous Link..." she looked upwards, and Link sighed deeply "I know." he glanced down and kissed her forehead "Go to sleep."  
Zelda knew it wasn't the response she wanted, but it was going to be the only one she was going to get. And she needed to be satisfied with that.  
"I love you" she mumbled, having now caught her breath.  
Link gave out a small affirmative sound and then kissed her hairline.  
Zelda settled herself in properly and closed her eyes. She could hear Link's heartbeat next to her, and it drifted her off to sleep. 

\--

Link’s eyes were closed. His hand was trailing up and down Zelda’s arm with her nestling up against his chest, sleeping peacefully. Her breathing was slow and rhythmic, and Link found it soothing. There was no desire from him to get up and instead he settled further down into the pillows, holding her close.  
There hadn't been a night with her like this before – with him being awake in her bed, and he enjoyed the sensation of her heart beating against his chest with every breath she took. 

But suddenly he opened his eyes. The noise that he heard would have been to many undistinguishable. It sounded like a small gush of wind had just blown through the room – but Link knew it wasn’t just that.  
He sat up, his ears twitching and he waited for something else.  
This time it was louder, another ‘swish’ and then silence.

Link now moved Zelda from his arm, putting his hand to his lips in a hush motion as Zelda blearily opened her eyes. On noticing where she was, she sat upright and darted her eyes around, pulling the blanket up to her chest. She wanted to say something, but Link reemphasised the ‘hush’ motion by holding her arm gently. 

He listened out for something more, but it remained entirely silent. He needed to get his sword which was laying directly next to the bed with his trousers.  
Zelda followed closely as Link calmly slid off the bed, pulling on his trousers and gripping the Master Sword – not making any sound.

He then moved over the tiled floor silently with his bare feet.  
Link's gaze quickly focused on the person who had suddenly appeared at the window, like a ghost. 

A Sheikah. 

Zelda didn't know what she should do, and so she pulled the blanket over her, hiding as much as she could amongst the pillows.  
Link held his sword in a defensive position, steadying his stance and briefly darting his eyes to Zelda to make sure she was hidden. 

His focus went to the figure again, and he relaxed when he saw that he wasn't in the Yiga clan colours - but he remained apprehensive. 

But the Sheikah was fast to pull his scarf down and Link recognised him immediately from the Kakariko village. His name was Kel, and he was one of the Sheikah who stood guard at Impa's house.  
But Link still remained troubled - why would Kel be here. 

“Impa” Kel spoke breathlessly “She’s sick.”  
he dropped down from the window and Link could see how haggard he looked with bloodshot eyes as if he had not slept for a while.  
“I can’t stay here for long. The Gerudo will find me.” he pulled a piece of paper from his belt "I need to give this to the Princess Hyrule." 

Link paused unsure of what to say, and he glanced over to Zelda who already had pulled herself up, off the bed, grasping the sheet in front of her.  
Kel paused for a brief moment, looking between Link and Zelda but then spoke as if nothing had happened.  
"Paya has written to you." Kel wanted to step towards Zelda, but Link blocked him, holding out his hand instead.  
There was no way Link would let Kel come close - even if Paya had written a letter - when she was unclothed.  
Kel paused, darting his eyes over to Zelda before placing the letter into Link's hand. 

"I don't know what has happened. But Paya is worried. She needs the Princess" Kel was still focussed on Zelda, and Link blocked her from his site by moving in front of her "We will return to Kakariko as soon as we can" Link spoke firmly now. 

Kel now looked at Link and nodded. "I will return to the village. But please, come quick" Kel pulled his scarf back over his face and pulled himself up to the window.  
He passed a brief glance over to Link and Zelda and then disappeared back into the night. 

Link waited, looking up to the window, his sword still in his hand.  
Zelda now stepped quickly over to him, pulling the letter out of his grasp. Link looked backwards and saw she was naked.  
“Your Highness” Link looked slightly flustered and went to pull one of the blankets from the beds, covering her with it. 

Zelda looked at him with confusion “You’ve seen me like this already. Twice…” she pulled the blanket up towards her though and then sat down on the bed.  
Link clenched his jaw and still found it somewhat challenging to be with her and protect her.  
Zelda had opened the letter hastily and was reading, her face looked worried and when she was done, and she gripped the message, crumpling it slightly.  
“We need to go. We need to see Impa” Zelda's voice was determined "I need to help her." 

Link was already going through all the possibilities in his mind. His first concern was whether this was a trap - ordered by any one of the Yiga clan. Kel was a loyal warrior, but anyone could be drawn into the grasp of the Yiga.  
But if that wasn't the case, and Impa was sick, or even dying, Zelda needed to get there. 

If they were to ride to Kakariko, it would take at least two days, even if they galloped the entire time. And he wasn't sure that Artax had the stamina of Epona.  
As he looked into Zelda's face, he could see the seriousness of what was happening, even if he hadn't read the letter. 

"Link, I will need to travel with the slate."  
"No. I'm not letting you do that. It could be a trap" Links voice was firm.  
"We have no choice" Zelda's voice was insistent "I know it's not what you want. It's not what I want" she placed her palm on her chest.  
"But this is not about us." 

Link clenched his jaw, and his lips tugged downwards in a frown "What did the letter say" he stared at her.  
Zelda paused for a moment before she took a deep breath in "I don't know. But I think... I think Paya is worried it's to do with the Calamity." 

Link widened his eyes and then spoke again "No, I'm not letting you go into that on your own" he removed his gaze from her.  
"Link, I need to" she was still firm, but her voice was now slightly softer.  
"What if it gets worse? What if the Calamity happens again?"  
"Then I need to be with you, Your Highness. Your Father gave me that role. I can't just dismiss that"  
Link saw Zelda stiffening up as he spoke about her father. He sighed and then sat down on the bed next to her, placing his sword on the floor. 

"I spoke to you about the sword." he murmured, and he could see Zelda looking at him "it feels like it did before I rescued you." He was holding his head in desperation. "Now that Paya has written to you..." he glanced over to her and Zelda placed her hand on his. 

"It won't happen again, Link," she spoke softly, and Link shook his head. "I know you are going to go, regardless of my feelings" he gave out a deep sigh.  
"Let me prepare you at least." he looked at her and Zelda smiled, intertwining her fingers with his.  
"Thank you." 

Link said nothing. The dread crept over him like an icy chill and all of the reasons for him not to do this came rushing back to him. But he pushed them to one side - he needed to prepare her for what was happening. And he hoped to the goddesses it was not what he thought.


	16. "Yes, you can"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chemo starting next Tuesday :( 
> 
> Tiredness is getting me now - hence the slightly longer things between chapters. 
> 
> Anyway... don't know how many are still reading this, but its good therapy for me 
> 
> x
> 
> Chapters are getting slightly longer though at least...

“We have an audience…” Link muttered quietly into Zelda’s ear as he was gently correcting her position to shoot the next arrow.  
Several Gerudo were ambling onto the training yard when Zelda glanced around. They were silent as always but looked to both of them with confusion. 

“Well, we are not doing anything wrong…” She whispered but still felt Link moving backwards ever so slightly, so he was no longer touching her. She almost moped but thought better of it. 

“Link, that seems a bit much…” her voice remained soft, but Link just kept his gaze fixed ahead. 

“you need some tension in your back…” he stroked over her spine gently and then started to move away.  
“pull the arrow” he watched her carefully “further…” as he moved his fingers over her he carefully adjusted one of them, and Zelda felt her heart skip a beat.  
“Now… deep breath out, steady yourself” Zelda took a deep breath through her nose and then exhaled through her mouth and released the arrow. 

Link followed it, and it hit well within the target area, close to the centre.  
There was a smile when he looked to her “you’re pretty good at this” 

“You taught me” Zelda had lowered her bow and looked at him. It was apparent that Link was desperately trying to recall these moments.  
It felt so sad to Zelda that Link could not remember being with her – all of those moments were still in her memory, but she needed to remind herself that Link was still coming to terms with it all. And she needed to let him do all of this in his own time. 

“Sorry. No.” Link pulled an arrow from his quiver and gave it to her. She looked at his hands, and instinctively she placed her fingers over his, grasping the arrow gently "We'll get there." 

Since this morning, Link had become more withdrawn. Maybe it was because she had dismissed his idea about the sword – perhaps she should have been more receptive to his concerns.  
The fact he had voiced them at all was significant.  
Or maybe the distance was due to the fact they were in the presence of others. Surely there must be some sort of pattern to Links behaviour. But she could not yet find it. 

“Once more…” Link looked back to the target and moved into her again, this time holding his hand on her hip, aligning her with the target. This time her heart started to race as he touched her back and she felt herself blushing.

But as she had said before – they weren’t doing anything wrong. 

“Lady Hyrule” Riju spoke from behind them.  
Zelda jumped out of her skin, aimed the arrow far too low and released the string.  
Immediately Link snapped to attention, pulling his hands from her to avoid the arrow and his gaze then fell onto Bulliara who was looking at him with a scowl. 

It was utterly silent in the training yard, and all that could be heard was Zelda’s arrow falling to the ground with a clatter.  
Now she was unsure what to say as she placed her bow down glimpsing over to Link for some sort of support. 

“I apologise for being here so early without your permission, Riju” Link gave a small bow. Zelda’s heart was still beating furiously against her chest, and she worried that Riju would somehow be able to hear it.  
Thankfully Link continued as he must have seen she would not be able to string along any sensible sentences yet.  
“We have been called back to Kakariko. Impa is unwell… we need to see her.” 

Riju raised her eyebrows and looked to Zelda who had now started to recover from Riju’s sudden interruption.  
“We thought it best to inform you when you had awoken” she felt her composure come back to her now and once again she told herself they had not been doing anything wrong.

“And… who told you of this?” the raised eyebrows from Riju told Zelda that she was clearly more interested in how this message had been conveyed to both of them, rather than the fact that Impa was unwell.  
To Riju Impa meant little – all she knew about her was told to her by Zelda in the last few days. 

Zelda looked back to Link waiting to see if he had a response to that or not as she was not entirely sure whether to tell them the truth or not as she did not want to endanger the Sheikah who had given them the message. 

“One of the Sheikah.” The calmness of Link’s voice was in complete contrast to Bulliara who looked positively enraged. 

“A Voe?” Bulliara was looking to the guards, clearly annoyed at the fact that this man managed to infiltrate the town.  
“A Voe, yes” it was difficult for Link to not be entertained by Bulliara’s behaviour now – as she looked very much like she may lose it. 

“We will need to travel immediately, Lady Riju. We apologise for the abrupt ending to our visit” Zelda waited for Riju to respond. But she was looking to Bulliara who had called over some of the guards to admonish them for letting a Voe into the town. Bulliara was now talking to them in hushed, angry whispers. 

“Well, this is certainly abrupt” Riju spoke, holding her hands in front of her turning back to address Zelda “but of course I understand.”  
Bulliara had now stepped back to Riju, still scowling and angry with her guards.

“Will you need sandseals to travel back to the bazaar? We will happily provide you with some" Riju cocked her head and lifted her eyebrows.

“No, thank you, Riju. I will be travelling with the slate.” immediately Zelda regretted telling her this as Riju frowned and looked to Link.  
“you and Misstress Link can travel together? I was under the impression this was something that only one of you could travel at a time?” 

“You are correct Riju” Link had already responded, making sure that the obvious annoyance in his voice could be heard as he continued  
“I will travel to the shrine alone. If there is no danger, I will return back to her, and she can travel. I will join her on horseback in two, maybe three days.” Zelda scowled at him, but Link just tightened his lips, saying nothing to her. 

“Oh” the surprise in Riju’s face was evident, and she addressed Zelda again. “Will you be safe, Lady Hyrule? I certainly would never travel without Bulliara…”  
It seemed that Bulliara seemed equally displeased by this “I thought that Mistress Link and I had had a discussion about this yesterday…” 

Link took a deep breath in but stopped himself from saying anything too inflammatory “This is not my decision. But I bow to Lady Hyrules will. She has agreed that I will travel first, to see if it is safe. And I will ensure Sheikah are there to guide her to Impa on my return.” Link had his hands behind his back and was addressing Riju now. 

Bulliara huffed in obvious disapproval “I still don’t believe in any way that this is a wise idea.” 

“I agree with Bulilara, Lady Hyrule” Riju spoke now and looked at to Zelda with a frown. She glimpsed backwards to Link and saw him looking at her with his eyebrows raised and a look of ‘I told you so’. 

“Unfortunately, we need to get there as soon as we can” her tone was now that of irritation – towards both Riju, Bulliara and also towards Link.  
It wasn’t enough that she had had to argue with Link relentlessly about this – now she found both Riju and Bulliara on his side. 

Even getting Link to agree to this plan had been incredibly difficult. 

Riju exhaled profoundly and then gave a brief nod  
“Very well." the disapproval in Riju's voice was more than evident "We will arrange clothing and weapons for yourself. I will arrange a bow suitable for your status." 

“And I can only ask for you to reconsider, Lady Hyrule,” Bulliara interjected, and her voice was firm – Now she knew that none of this was Link’s idea she seemed to place the scowl on Zelda which surprised her a little.

Now she felt slightly annoyed by all of them. Mostly by Bulliara having to talk to her like this.  
She was the Princess, and without any of their help she had fought off Ganon for 100 years.

“Thank you, Bulliara. But my mind is made up.” Even though she wanted to sound confident, the more people told her it was a bad idea, the more anxious she became, and her voice started to break ever so slightly when she spoke. 

“I will see you in the Throne room when you are prepared to leave. Please, stay in the training yard as long as you would like.” Riju glanced over to Bulliara who was giving Zelda another concerning look before she turned with Riju to leave. 

“I told you it’s a bad idea…” Link had stepped up to her, and although he wanted to place a hand onto her waist, he noticed the gaze of the Gerudo, so he quickly stopped the movement.  
“You are going first. It will be fine.” Zelda turned towards him, but her gaze was firmly fixed downwards.  
Instead of arguing anymore Link gave out a heavy sigh “Once more then…”

Zelda saw the arrow he was holding out to her, and she looked up into his eyes, going to grasp it slowly.  
Once she had looked into them, she saw that concern again and then heard something. Though she wasn’t sure what it was, it sent a cold, icy feeling to the pit of her stomach before it disappeared again. 

Yes, she had fought off Ganon. But without Link, she would not have been able to defeat him. They needed each other, and now they were being forced apart again. 

\--

The Unrelenting glare of the midday sun greeted them as they walked to the Daqo Chisay shrine. The heat was shimmering off the sand as they walked out of the town – many of the Gerudo had already deserted the market place for those hours of the day when even the sun was too much for them. 

Link was watching Zelda closely, and he could see she was flagging in the heat. As she had now been given clothes suitable for the climate of the grasslands of Kakariko village it was not surprising that she was struggling.  
In addition, she was also encumbered with a harness, and bow and a quiver.  
She was more than able to defend herself now, even without the power the tri-force gave her. 

Before they had left, they had wanted some time alone to say their goodbyes - but the Gerudo had been insistent the door needed to stay open for them to help them prepare.  
Link had not been sure about this, and he did wonder whether the Gerudo knew about them both. Regardless of whether he was a Voe or a Vai. 

Due to the Link now had some conflicting feelings – in a way he hoped that he would be able to return from the Taloh Neag shrine to tell her it was unsafe to travel and that they would need to go on horseback. But this would obviously mean there was danger in the village. And that was not something he wanted either. 

He knew how much Impa meant, to both of them, and he needed to do right by her. If she were sick, then Zelda would need to get to her as soon as she could. 

They moved into the shrine, sheltering themselves in the shade.  
Zelda looked behind Link to the Gerudo who were standing guard, looking out into the desert.  
Link followed her gaze and was disappointed, although not surprised at their presence. 

“I’ll be back soon…” Link wanted so badly to pull her close and kiss her, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. 

However, Zelda now flung her arms around his neck, holding him close.  
Link wasn’t entirely sure what to do and though he wanted to push her back, he couldn’t. He couldn't help but give out a satisfied sigh as she had been the one to instigate this and therefore he could not be reprimanded by the Gerudo. 

“I don’t think I can do this Link” Zelda grasped his tunic, whispering into his ear.  
“You can” Link very much wanted to say that she couldn’t. That he needed to be with her and accompany her to Kakariko on horseback so they could be together.  
Goddesses he loved her- why was he going to leave her here? And why was he going to let her travel alone to the village afterwards? 

There was no way he could think about this now. But there was still another worry in his mind.  
He knew what it was and now Zelda knew as well – but it would seem the Sword had no bearing on her thoughts of travelling to Kakariko.  
All he could do now was make it as safe as he could for her to leave. 

Once more he pressed her to him and then released her. However, she still remained only inches away from him. Certainly not in keeping with the roles they were still trying to show to the outside. 

Zelda passed a final glance over to the Gerudo and then gently pulled off his veil and kissed him softly, cupping her hand to the back of his neck.

Link looked slightly shocked, and he remembered the fact that he was meant to be a Vai. He worried that he should maybe push her away. But as he took a deep breath in he bathed in her scent – sweet honey and flowers – and all of that was forgotten. 

He moved his hands over her waist and shoulders, pulling her into him.  
The Gerudo had not reacted and although it seemed unlikely they hadn’t noticed they were either too shocked or polite to do anything.  
Slowly Zelda drew herself away, they’re lips only a few centimetres apart. With a deep sigh, Link moved away entirely, pulling the veil over his face again. 

“I’ll see you shortly then…?” the forced smile Zelda gave very much mirrored Link’s opinion on the matter. 

With reluctance, Link nodded and pulled the slate from his belt.  
As he activated it, he felt the tingling feeling of the transport run through him, and Zelda disappeared in a blue haze. 

Before he knew it, he was already stepping down into the Taloh Naeg shrine, and Link needed some time to adjust again to this odd sensation of being somewhere else entirely from where he was only a few seconds ago. 

As he stepped down into the grass, he was listening intently to everything that was around him – but there did not seem to be anything astray. The sky was blue, the sounds of children giggling and screaming were coming from the village along with the general chatter from some of the other villagers. 

The grass was tickling his feet as he was still wearing the silk pumps from the Gerudo and in this stillness, he could hear the wind rustling the trees.  
He felt Zelda's absence dig into him and he just wanted to get back to her. 

Since they had been together a lot of his memories had come back and the affection, in fact, the love he had for her so in contrast to how he felt when he first awoke.  
The Sword on his back seemed to aggravate more of those emotions in him, and although he wanted to go back, he needed to continue. The faster he was done here, the faster he could go back to Zelda. 

Walking down to the village he felt a chill pass over him. Clearly, the Gerudo gear was not made for this – he remembered the champion's tunic he had stuffed into his satchel. Even though he knew it that some of it was still caked with blood and ripped he was still sorely tempted to put it on. 

He wasn’t sure what would be better. Him in the Vai outfit, or him in a bloody champions tunic. 

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" Claree was standing outside her shop with a broom and gave him a smile. She looked over him from top to bottom and looked slightly confused. Being in this village in this outfit was certainly unusual. 

Link furrowed his brow and then remembered the veil he was wearing, so he pulled it off, stuffing it into his satchel, still wondering if he should pull out his tunic.  
Claree stood there in total disbelief, her mouth agape, and then she spoke “Master…Master Link?” she gave a small giggle, and Link rolled his eyes. There was a suspicion he would have this problem with most of the villagers. 

“Maybe… you would like to find something else to buy in my shop?” Claree gestured to the shop. By Din yes, that is precisely what he wanted to do as the stares he was getting from the rest of the villagers were starting to become embarrassing, even to him. 

“I'm here to see Impa” he just ignored her statement, despite the fact he was now starting to feel the icy chill of the wind. 

“Oh” Claree looked even more perplexed and then seem to look past Link. There was something else missing. “Where is the Princess?”  
Link sighed deeply – this was not a conversation he needed to have at the moment. “I will explain later, Claree” he gave her a small bow and then continued onto Impa’s residence. 

Now both Dorian and Cado had caught sight of him, and they looked at him with the same confusion as Claree.  
“Um… Master Link?” Dorian spoke first and couldn’t help but suppress and small snicker “That is certainly a different look for you.” Now Cado spoke and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. 

As much as Link wanted to ignore their talks about his appearance today, he found that they were both blocking his way up the stairs. "I need to-" 

“Master Link” the voice was almost a shriek, and he knew who it had come from, and Link clenched his jaw. 

Paya was blushing furiously, he could see it even from the bottom of the stairs.  
Link wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this – it was only after they had left the village that Zelda had told him about Payas affection towards him – which in all fairness he probably should have seen before. 

Now he wasn’t sure what do to or say anymore. He should have taken up Claree’s offer of clothes or pulled on his bloody tunic before he continued to the house.  
“I need to see Impa, Paya” he pushed past Dorian and Cado and walked up to the stairs. The closer that Link got, the more flustered Paya became – the redness around her face and chest was almost the same as the eye on her forehead. 

“I… yes of course” Paya was shielding her view from Link as she opened the door to where Impa was. She was sitting in her usual position, with her eyes closed. Obviously sleeping. And she was very obviously not unwell.  
Link felt his heart race at that moment, and the sword drew him back – this was not where he was meant to be. 

“Grandmother” Paya spoke in a high-pitched voice, and Link glanced briefly to Paya wanting her to feel more at ease. He thought about placing a hand on her should but quickly realised that would not be helpful. 

Impa awoke immediately, adjusting her eyes, focusing initially on Paya and then on Link. She seemed to consider what he was wearing and why but instead she looked behind him, and her eyes widened “Where is Zelda?” 

It was apparent that Impa knew nothing of her ‘illness’ and now Link started to wonder why he had been brought here and why Kel had delivered that message to them. 

“She is in Gerudo Town. We were told you were sick” Link kept his gaze on Impa, still wondering how this had happened. And he felt the dread set over him – he needed to get back. But immediately leaving Impa’s house and running to one of the shrines seemed pointless – and he needed to know why the Sheikah from the Kakariko village had delivered that message. 

“Who told you this?” Impa questioned with the calmest voice she could muster. Paya was still shielding her view from Link, and Impa sighed “Get Link some clothes, Paya. He cannot be seen in…” Impa looked him up and down “He just cannot be seen like this.” 

Paya blushed furiously, catching one last look at Link before leaving.  
“Who?” Impa reemphasised her question from earlier, staring at Link intently.  
“It was Kel” there was now a moment of silence in the room as Impa seemed to process the information that had been given to her. She sat backwards slightly “Kel was found dead nearly a week ago. We assumed he had been attacked by a bear – it certainly seemed that way…” Impa’s voice showed sadness and Link wasn’t entirely sure how to react.  
Now the question was not why he had delivered the message, the issue was how. 

"Are you sure, it was Kel?" Impa squinted at Link, and he now started to question himself. But he knew it was him - the scar over his chin, the dark, almost crimson eyes - he knew.  
“I'm sure.” 

Impa now looked worried, and she sat back.  
Before she could speak there was a loud noise from outside – it sounded like crashing of boulders, and some of the villagers started to scream. 

Without any hesitation Link had pulled his sword and turned back to where the noise was coming from.  
Suddenly he noticed the subtle blue glow from his sword. This wasn't right. Why was this happening?


	17. The Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link is confronted by something he has not seen before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are all amazing. Thank you for commenting - really makes me want to continue :) 
> 
> I like easter weekend - lots of time to write - haha
> 
> I couldn't think of anything that Link could actually be 'weak' against... so... this happened. 
> 
> x

Zelda reached her hand out into the blue haze into which Link had disappeared, and her fingertips tingled slightly before it all dissolved.  
As soon as he left, Zelda felt a deep ache in her heart, gnawing at her very soul. She was alone again. 

Her gaze wandered over to the Gerudo standing just outside the Daqo Chisay shrine – clearly not bothered by the sweltering heat. Not a bead of sweat was on either of them. 

However the temperature for her was almost intolerable, and so she kept herself sheltered in the shrine, moving far to the back, hoping it would in some way help.  
Sitting down she fought with the bow and quiver still strapped to her back, and she needed to try and adjust them to make herself as comfortable as she could.

How Link did this with far more equipment than she ever had, and made it look so effortless, she would never understand. 

As soon as she had slumped onto the floor, she felt her muscles being pulled down by gravity, her arms hanging loosely by her side. Her heart was racing, and a small trickle of sweat trailed down her back, soaking into her leggings.  
The sweat over her forehead, however, was starting to dry and felt slightly tight causing her to wipe the dried perspiration off her temple – even though they had not been in the desert for long, it already had some dust engrained in it. 

What she was wearing was entirely too warm, and she wanted to find something she could remove too cool off. The first thing she saw was the archer's brace – it was Link’s and well-worn from his countless battles. He had given it to her as he was adamant he would have another on Epona’s saddle bag. Of course, she knew that was not the case – but she still accepted his offer. 

The leather was supple as she unbuckled it from the well-used clasps. As soon as she pulled it off, she felt the coolness over her forearm and sighed in relief. 

She placed the bracer to one side and pulled up the sleeves up on her silk top before she finally relaxed backwards.  
Slowly her heartbeat began to settle back into its normal rhythm, and in the shade, she almost started to feel comfortable. For a fleeting moment, she shut her eyes, and she felt everything drifting away. 

Her thoughts had not yet gone to how little she had slept last night, and the exhaustion was starting to catch up with her.  
Link would return soon – he wouldn’t mind if she were just resting her eyes. 

Gradually however she started to fall asleep – her head nodding forwards and her breathing settling into a deep, slow rhythm. 

In that time between wakefulness and sleep, she started to hear something although she wasn’t entirely sure what it was. 

Then she felt an unpleasant warmth spread into her right hand – the hand with the tri-force emblazoned upon it. It wasn’t frankly painful – just uncomfortable. 

And she knew she had fallen asleep as when looking downwards, she saw herself in her white prayer dress in an empty room. 

Now the warmth in her hand was getting worse – it felt almost as if she had placed her hand into boiling water and she winced a little, but still looking up to the sound she had heard, listening intently.  
There it was again – now she knew it was a voice. A voice she had heard before, long ago but could never put a face to. 

As she turned, she saw a young woman, all in blue, including her face. A violet scarf swung over her shoulders. The woman spoke, but Zelda couldn’t hear her.  
She walked closer and then the searing sensation in her hand worsened, and she had to grip it with her left, holding it close to her body. 

_“Run”_

Zelda startled into consciousness again and found herself back in the shrine – adrenaline was pumping through her veins and she clambered upwards to a standing position. Her hand was still throbbing as her eyes darted around before she started to relax her shoulders and put this all down to some sort of unusual dream.  
But then there was something more – another noise - very different from the one before. It sounded like stone scraping along the floor, and as Zelda turned around, she noted with astonishment that the shrine was beginning to close. 

The Gerudo seemed to be quicker on the uptake and grabbed Zelda, pulling her out of the shrine just before the doors had sealed themselves completely.  
The temperature struck her immediately as she was pulled out of the coolness of the shade and the heat went into her bones as if it was being pumped through her veins. Even the air was like breathing liquid fire. 

The sand smouldered and sent up a disorientating haze which is why Zelda wondered that the first thought she had was that Link's bracer was still in the shrine.  
One of the things he had entrusted her with. 

As she brought herself back into the moment she stepped back slightly more, the Gerudo still at her side and she looked to the shrine where she noticed the blue brightness of it was starting to disappear – it was subtle at first, but then it went completely. 

She took some time to process what was going on and thought herself still in a dream – a nightmare in fact.

One of the Gerudo had now pulled her backwards, pulling her down the few steps of the shrine causing her to stumble. Zelda felt her feet sink into the hot sand, almost burning her with the silk pumps she was wearing. But she felt nothing – her heart was racing, and a million thoughts were going through her mind at once. 

“Lady Hyrule, we need to leave.” 

Zelda found her thoughts again and pulled herself free of the Guards grasp “No. I need to wait for Link.”  
“we were given orders.” One of the Gerudo looked at her with a piercing glance, scowling. 

“You were not given orders if the shrine just… just…” Zelda looked back to the shrine again and then to her hand. It was no longer burning – in fact the tri-force was now starting to fade a little.

As she continued to stare at her hand, the Gerudo placed her scimitar back into its sheath “We were given orders by Mistress Link, and he was clear to take you back to the town if anything happened.” 

Zelda’s mouth was agape, and she just stared at the Gerudo. How could Link be giving orders like this – without her knowledge? Despite what had just happened, she started to feel anger boiling inside of her. Or maybe it was because of what had just happened. She wasn’t entirely sure. 

“Lady Hyrule” the guard spoke again “unless you come now, I will need to carry you back to the town.” 

Scowling Zelda looked to her and wanted to protest, but the Gerudo had already started to move towards her looking as if she might go to pick her up.  
The anger in her caused Zelda to move away, and she started to march towards the town – the guards were now following her with swift, even steps – and if she had wanted to run away she would not have been able to. The Gerudo would have been quick to scoop her up to take her back to the city. 

Her first thought was getting to Link – nothing else mattered.  
The two Gerudo guarding the town did not challenge her, they didn’t even look at her – instead of looking to the ones who were flanking her. 

One of them spoke something in their own tongue – Zelda couldn’t understand it, but she didn’t much care right now.  
The town was still empty with only the Gerudo guarding Riju’s palace, and again, they didn’t stop her from walking in. 

She strode into the throne room “Riju! I need to leave!” this time Zelda did not want to deal with formalities, she just needed to get out of the town to find Link. Who knows what had happened and if he was in danger. 

Her heart was beating furiously, and her hair was now plastered to her scalp from her perspiration – and her entire body was now drenched in sweat and drops were now starting to drip off her chin.  
She must have been a wonder to behold. 

Riju glanced to her from her throne and then looked to the guard who was suddenly standing next to Zelda, almost touching her. Riju ignored Zelda now and spoke to the guards in their mother tongue.  
If only Zelda had done what her father had said and learned the language of the Gerudo – instead she had been so fixated on plants and fauna. 

Now the Gerudo and Riju had a discussion which seemed to last longer than what Zelda had anticipated, and she finally lost it  
“What is happening!” Zelda almost shouted now, gripping her hands into fists by her side, and Bulliara glared at her. It was apparent she wanted to say something, but Riju gestured her to stop – looking to Zelda with a stern glance. 

Zelda flinched a little, and she realised why Riju had the respect of everyone – even though she was small in stature, her presence now felt as large as it had ever been.  
Maybe it had been Link who they actually respected – given the trials and challenges he had done for the Gerudo. Perhaps she was only a passing thought, and now all of that respect was gone. She swallowed and now shrunk back feeling more alone than she ever had. 

“Lady Hyrule” Riju felt she should keep the formalities for now “right now, you will have to stay with us. Mistress Link gave us orders to-”  
“No! I need to leave! You don’t understand” Zelda pleaded again, and this time Bulliara slammed her spear into the floor, silencing her. 

One of the Gerudo next to her had grasped her shoulder.  
“At the moment I would not want you making rash decisions on what is going to happen.” Riju lent backwards and gestured to the Gerudo holding her shoulder firmly.

“Once you have calmed yourself, I will speak to you again” Riju rested her hands on her throne and signalled for the guard who was holding her shoulder to direct her, with a gentle force to her room. 

Zelda suddenly felt like a scolded child being told to go to her room until she had ‘calmed herself’ as she was gently, but forcefully pushed into her room and the door was locked behind her. 

As soon as she stumbled into the room, she suddenly realised that that ‘fury’ she had been feeling before was not that. She was scared, and she realised how terribly powerless she was. 

They had not heard what she had; she recalled the woman who was calling to her. Suddenly she had an epiphany. Of course, she had heard it before. It was Link's sword.  
Her heart skipped a beat and then raced again – she looked to the door and wanted to leave – she needed to go. 

Now the sweat from before lay cold on her skin - causing her to shiver.  
The sweat on her back was now trailing continuously down her spine. No matter how much she begged and howled she would need to stay in this room until Riju or the guards felt sure she had calmed herself. 

She pulled the bow from her back, gently placing it on the bed and unbuckled the quiver, causing it to drop down onto the floor. As she sat on the bed she went to look to her hand and noticed the tri-force had faded even further - this was not right. She needed Link, and she should never have said she would travel on her own.  
They truly needed each other. 

\---

Link stood still entirely shocked by what was happening. This was the village - they were not meant to be able to get into the village. The crashing of boulders was still ongoing, and then suddenly he heard Impa shouting “Link! go!" 

It took him only a brief second to switch back into action. He ran, barging open the door leading to the village and could immediately see Bokoblins, Lizarfos and a single silver Moblin.  
As Link was storming down the stairs, two at a time, if not more, he was already starting to plan on how to attack. He went to grab his bow but noticed it wasn’t there. He had given it to Zelda.  
All he had now was his sword. 

He swore under his breath but knew he would still be able to take them out, it would just take a bit longer. But he still needed to be quick. The villagers who had been outside were retreating, and Dorian and Cado had their swords drawn. 

“Keep them safe” Link managed to shout at them before storming towards the Bokoblins.  
Two of them were threating Claree, with Cottla clinging to her leg with tears running down her little face. 

Link skidded in front of them, parrying the blow from the Bokoblin and flinging its sword out of its hand. “Go!” Link was unable to look to them as he went to slash at the other Bokoblin – the first creature had gone to find its weapon again. Claree grabbed the small girl and ran towards Dorian who took Cottla, having dropped his sword, burying his face into her neck. 

Another swing of Link's sword and the first Bokoblin was dead. The deep, black blood of it oozed out from its wound onto the ground before it disappeared in a plume of smoke.  
The other Bokoblin was now storming back towards him, and as he spun his sword, he plunged it through its skull. Its dark, black blood poured over the floor and Link with a forceful pull was able to yank his blade out of it. 

Before he was able to think about it anymore, he saw a boulder crashing towards him.  
Without a pause he dodged the rock quickly and watched it crash into Claree’s shop, splintering wood and smashing bricks as it went. 

But now he couldn’t focus on that. His mind was now entirely focused on his battle.  
The Silver Moblin came into his view immediately – he would be the toughest to handle, but the Lizalfos were going around, looking for villagers and digging their green, wiry fingers into the wood to try and get into the houses.

One of the Lizarfos caught sight of him and screamed before running towards him, swinging his spear towards him.  
Link darted and avoided the spear easily with a small jump, and then he plunged his sword downwards and into the disgusting creature. The sword was now piercing the ground by a good half a meter, and the Skull of the Lizalfos was impaled by it – it made a gurgling scream before it again disappeared into a plume of black smoke. 

The other Lizalfos had watched its counterpart but despite this just ran into Link, brandishing his sword and shield and Link needed to dart back to avoid its swing. As the creature lunged forward, Link took the opportunity to slash him with his sword causing a large, deep laceration over its stomach. Its guts were now starting to spill over the ground – green and slimy with dark blood coating them and then he also disappeared as he was beginning to fall forwards. 

Link had barely broken a sweat as his gaze fixed on the Moblin who only just seemed to have noticed him – running towards him with colossal speed, a large, spiked club swinging over its head.  
Link ran forwards and then as the Moblin was about to swing towards him he slid between its legs, turning around and once again sinking his sword into the beast.  
It screamed now and immediately turned towards him, causing Link to lose his Sword as it was still embedded in the creatures back. 

He swore under his breath, and the Moblin was now storming back towards him holding his club above his head, waiting to crash it down onto Link.  
But instinctively Link kneeled down, and just before he could swing his sword, he jumped backwards and then up onto the creature's shoulders causing it to fall forward. 

Now he turned, grabbed his sword and plunged it further into the creature and with a long scream it disappeared once more into a black, puff of smoke. 

Link waited for a while before standing upright again and then looked to Dorian and Cado who looked relieved – Cado was even smiling and put his fist up shaking it as a sign of cheer.  
He relaxed slightly now and then turned, looking upon the devastation of the village itself. 

He now noted two other boulders which had smashed into the Cucco enclosure, and he could see one which had crashed into the beautiful plum trees which Mellie had so lovingly looked after. 

Just as he was about to walk back over to the villagers', he saw his sword glowing, and something struck him in the back, causing him to stumble forwards. He could feel the blood starting to pour through his silk top, and he knew the injury must be significant. 

He turned and was startled by what he saw causing him to back up slightly, holding his sword in a defensive position. It was him – but not him. He was completely black, and the memories of what the Kilton in the Fang and Bone had told him came back to him. 

_‘I developed it myself. Something I discovered during my research – something which was born from a shadowy, dark monster.’_

Before Link could even think of what was happening it ran towards him, striking him with a powerful blow. Link recognised his own movements reflected in the creature, and he parried the attack but was unable to push him away.  
With no pause Link collapsed backwards onto the floor, still holding off the attack and as he had fallen he kicked his feet outwards, hitting it forcefully in the lower stomach, causing it to swing over and backwards, over Link’s head. 

Now Link jumped upwards and spun his sword back around. He ran to plunge his sword into the creature, but he was just as fast as he was and parried the blow from the ground.  
Link looked at it – it didn’t look angry. It seemed entirely indifferent to what was going on and his red eyes penetrated into his very soul. 

Before he knew what has happening Link found himself being pushed backwards by the creature who had now stood up, and he staggered from the force.  
He was weaker than he would typically be – the injuries from the Thunderblight were still not healed, and the broken ribs meant he was not able to take breaths in as he usually would. 

Despite this, he was certainly not ready to give up, and so he once again went into the offensive.  
His sword swang over the creatures head and their swords clashed - the creature always seemed to be able to parry his blow, and he saw the similarities - it felt like he was fighting himself. 

But he was being pushed back and then started to stagger before finally his sword was flung out of his hand and he dropped with force to the floor.  
Without a pause the creature had moved forward, placing his sword against Link's throat, pressing gently into the skin. 

Link could see the black of the sword, smoke and haze were emanating off it – it looked identical to his Master Sword. And then the creature smirked – the only sense of feeling Link had seen from him, before he removed his sword and then disappeared into a dark haze, drifting away with the wind. 

Entirely dumbfounded Link lay there on the floor. He could feel the ache of his muscles come over him and the warm blood from the strike to the back was now starting to seep into the ground. His sword was only a few meters away from him, but he was unable to stand from the shock of what had happened.

“Link!” Dorian was now over him, holding his hand out to help pull him up. Link looked to it for a while before he grabbed it, letting him tug him up. 

“Are you okay?” Dorian asked, holding Link’s shoulders and he looked over him, noting the dark blood spilling from his back. “We need to get you seen too. Come”  
Link was still not sure what to say, so he pulled away from Dorian and went to grab his sword, putting it into the sheath on his back.

Just as he did, he felt somebody grab him from behind and embrace him with a desperate grip. “Oh gosh Link, I thought-” Paya was behind him, holding him close and he could feel the warm tears coming from her eyes as she buried her face into his top.

Really, he wanted to feel Zelda there – not Paya. He now longed for Zelda's touch. But he said nothing to that effect. Instead, he placed his hands over hers “It’s okay. I’m fine.”  
Paya pressed her face further into him before releasing him, refusing to let go entirely and so she grabbed his hand firmly.  
Link peered over to her and saw the bloody stain over her top from where she had embraced him. 

In a way, Link wanted to release her hand, but he did find it comforting to have somebody with him. 

Impa had appeared at the top of the stairs and ushered Link into her residence. Paya had started to help him up the stairs, but Dorian took over. “Paya, go and prepare hot water and clothing for Link. I’ve got him” 

Link now felt a little inept. He could he not defend the village, and now he had to be assisted by those who lived there.  
As he was being shepherded past the villagers he felt their gaze on him but he didn’t see their expressions, and he didn’t want to. He kept his gaze firmly fixed on the ground. 

He should have been able to defend them – but now he wasn’t sure of anything anymore.


	18. Paya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link had his wound tended to by Paya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chemo is now awful. I have the worse jaw pain now and it won’t go away. Apparently side effect of one of my drugs 😭 
> 
> Writing is becoming quite difficult as the pain really distracts me

“You… you were brave out their…” Paya was sitting behind Link on the bed, gently sponging the deep cut to his upper shoulder.  
Link remained silent - he certainly didn't feel he had been brave. He felt a failure. All of those horrible memories from the last memory with Zelda rushed over him again and he knew he needed to get back to her. 

Link flinched as Paya unintentionally wiped over the deepest area of the wound and he felt warm, thick liquid run down his back with Paya quickly wiped with a dry towel "I'm sorry".  
Link could feel the towel becoming saturated with his blood and he wondered how deep the wound actually was. He had not been able to see it - but Paya's facial expression had told him it was worse than he thought as he pulled off his silk top. 

The bottle of whisky which had been shoved into Link’s hand by Cado was now beginning to become more attractive. Cado told him it was only for pain – but he had given him a slight nudge, and a wink, gesturing to Paya and Link had furrowed his brow.  
With a sudden realisation, he knew what he was talking about, and Link had wanted to say something – but Impa had shepherded them up into Paya’s room so Link’s injury could be seen to. 

As Paya pulled away one of the small clots, Link grimaced, and Paya immediately stopped “I'm sorry Link... do you want me to stop?”  
“I’m fine…” His heart was now racing, and he tried to calm it, taking a deep breath in. However, Paya didn't resume so he glimpsed over to her briefly wondering if anything was wrong. 

“I feel… you should maybe drink some of that…” she muttered gesturing to the bottle held in Link’s hand “It will help”  
They were both silent, and Link glanced over to the needle and thread that had been laid out for him already to suture the wound.  
He gave out a defeated sigh and pulled the cork out of the whisky bottle with the smell of the alcohol immediately emanating from the liquid. 

He didn't like it and he had and a memory came back to him - it was only a vague recollection - but he knew it was the alcohol that prompted it.  
He weighed out the pros and cons of the pain compared to alcohol. But he knew the suturing would be worse so he took a deep breath and then took a large swig of the drink. 

It burned as it poured down his throat like a deep, burning fire.  
immediately he noticed he had taken too much of a mouthful as he ended up having to spit some of the alcohol back up again, choking and spluttering as he did so. 

He hadn't drunk since the shrine and was not sure what to expect from the drink - but it was certainly more powerful than what he envisioned. 

“Are you okay?” Paya’s voice was full of concern and Link wiped his mouth, coughing once more, and then speaking with a hoarse voice “It’s fine.”  
That burning feeling he had when the alcohol settled in his stomach was starting to become a warm, comfortable feeling, spreading throughout his entire body. 

Now that memory from before came back to him. Well before he went into the shrine he was once taken to the tavern by some of the guards. A dark, amber drink was placed in front of him. He had initially refused to drink it, but the peer pressure of the others had made him down it anyway before they placed another in front of him.  
The hangover he had the following day he could now remember as if it was yesterday - a racing heart and a dry mouth which no amount of water would quench. 

Link had so wanted to tell Zelda about that memory – she would be the only one who would be able to appreciate it. Of course, he could tell Paya – but none of his recollections meant anything to her and now he felt Zelda's absence again pressing on him. He wanted so desperately to get back to her.

“Okay?” Paya’s voice took him out of that thought, bringing him back to the now. With another deep sigh Link nodded, now bracing himself for the pain, gripping the open bottle tightly.  
However this time the pain seemed duller and he relaxed a little now thankful for the drink that Cado had given him. 

They both sat there in complete silence. The only sounds that could be heard was the gentle splashing of water as Paya cleaned the wound, wringing out the towel.  
Paya had made a small fire, even though it was not cold – she could see that Link was shivering and although she wasn't sure if it was from cold, shock or blood loss she felt a warm fire would somehow help. 

Paya finished cleaning, not saying anything and put the towels into the water, now stained with Links blood. She carried the basin over to her desk and wiped her hand on a cloth before she went to prepare the next bowl, pouring water into it which had been kept warm in the kettle she had brought in.

Link observed her carefully, watching her pour the liquid into the bowel. He hadn't really ever noticed her appearance but after Zelda had told him about his affection for him he noted that she was a very pretty girl.  
She was unusual for a Sheikah, as was Impah. They both had dark, chocolate brown eyes as opposed to the piercing red eyes that the rest of the Sheikah had. But the red eye over their heads made them unmistakably one of the shadow people. 

As Paya walked back over she saw Link staring at her intently and she blushed a little feeling slightly embarrassed by his attention. But Link just gave her a small smile "thank you for this, Paya"  
She didn't say anything instead centring her attention on the bowel in front of her. 

Link moved his gaze away from her and he started to think about Zelda again. Paya was undoubtedly pretty - but there was no way she could be compared to her, to his Princess. For Zelda there was not just beauty, there was something inside her which made him realise that he was meant to be with her. 

Link looked back over to the equipment she was preparing absentmindedly. The needle and thread were placed next to the bowel on a small wooden tray. Paya was incredibly meticulous with preparing the equipment - she seemed to be much like Link was when he was making camp. 

She carefully picked up the needle, putting the needle through the flame of a candle, trying to sterilise it before going to thread the needle with a small piece of yarn which had been soaked in alcohol to sterilise it. 

“So... um...this will hurt a bit…” Paya glimpsed to Link and then to the bottle in his hand "I... Have some more of that. I think it will help"  
Link tugged the corners of his lips downwards. He was sure it would help - but he wanted to get back and he didn't want to be intoxicated when he arrived back at the Gerudo village. 

But similarly, he didn't want to compromise the suturing of the wound which could cause him more problems in future.  
He went to put the bottle to his mouth, hesitated for a while and then tipped it up. This time he knew what he was expecting and he squeezed his eyes shut as the fiery liquid flowed through his throat but then settled into his stomach leaving that warm feeling there. 

He wiped his mouth and the sighed deeply "Okay..." 

Paya looked back to the wound exhaling deeply through her mouth and then placing her hand over his shoulder. It was scarred from other wounds but regardless she still trailed over his skin, completely captivated with the feel of him. 

Link now started to feel slightly awkward at her intimate touch. He had been with Paya before, at Impa's request. But never had they physically been this close. 

After a little while Link cleared his throat and Paya brought herself back into the room, embarrassed by what she had done.  
She said nothing and moved to make the first suture, her hands now trembling. 

As she took the first bite, pulling the thread through Link's skin he felt the sting from the alcohol it had been sterilised in.  
This time he didn't wait as he took another slug of the whisky - regardless of what he had been thinking, he needed another drink.  
He couldn't remember the last time he needed a wound suturing - but the scars on his chest suggested that clearly, he had. He wondered if it had been alcohol that had drawn him through it - despite how young he must have been.

Paya pulled the first suture closed, expertly tying the suture shut. It would be at least 6 sutures to close it and she noted Link's breathing which was starting to increase.  
"Are you sure... you want me to continue...?" her voice was filled with concern and she moved her hand from the wound. 

"It's okay" Links voice sounded more like a small groan but he still maintained his upright stance - refusing to let him be taken down by pain.  
He took one last drink even though the smell of it was now starting to make him feel nauseous. He had now drunk nearly a third of the bottle and he placed the cork in it firmly, placing the bottle to one side. No more. He would just have to deal with what would come. 

Impa had been quite adamant he wouldn’t be able to leave until the wound was sorted and he rested, but he hoped very much that sorting the injury would be enough for her to let him go. 

Paya took a deep breath in and then set back onto the wound, pulling another stitch into his skin. This time link barely winced and Paya wasn't sure if it was due to the alcohol or due to his stubbornness. 

Again there was silence in the room - the hissing and spitting were the only things audible in the room until Paya spoke again: “You’ve been talking a lot less Link… Since… since you were here last” her murmuring was barely distinguishable to Link, and he needed to work out what she had said.  
He contemplated it for a while and then answered  
“things have changed…” 

Paya’s swallowed and tied the next suture - she was now starting to tremble again "Why...?" she questioned, still staring at the wound. 

“Because…” Link was trying to think of something to say. He didn’t want to tell her about him and Zelda. But of course, he knew that’s what she was thinking - thats why she had started to shake. 

He did feel guilty for not telling her – he knew what she wrote in her diary. He didn't want to let her down or disappoint her. But there was no doubt in his mind that his heart belonged to Zelda. 

The guilt felt warm in his stomach, and he started to fidget “Because I need to protect the Princess.” 

“Oh…” Paya continued with the next suture “Well… maybe you could still… you know…” Link glanced to her waiting for what she was going to say next “maybe just talk a bit more… I miss your voice…” Paya blushed suddenly and adamantly refused to look at him. 

Link tugged the corners of his lips downwards and tried to think of something else to say. He wanted desperately to get away from this incredibly awkward situation.  
The thought of him saying he preferred the company of men did cross through his mind – but clearly when Zelda and himself announced their courtship, if they ever did, it would completely destroy her. 

“Done…” Paya admired her handiwork now – her hand brushed over his back as she cleaned the wound.

A sense of relief came over him when she was finally finished. The closeness between the two of them was starting to feel slightly awkward. If Zelda had never told him anything about her affection he would never have thought about it. 

Link stood up, taking a deep breath in and then winced when he felt the pain from his ribs. He was certainly not on his best form.  
He wasn't looking at Paya as he went to pull over a dark green tunic.  
But as he tugged the shirt over his head he suddenly saw Paya in front of him, causing him to stumble backwards in surprise.  
Before he could say anything, Paya had pressed her lips to his. 

Link widened his eyes in shock not sure where to place his hands and so he held them in a surrending motion, uncertain what to do. But when Paya went to press her tongue against the seam of his lips he had to gently put his hands to her shoulders and push her away. 

They were both staring at each other, and Link desperately wanted to say something – the longer they waited, the worse it seemed to get. 

Paya then retook the initiative, leaning into him once more, but this time Link backed away, holding her at length. “Paya, I can’t.”  
The news seemed to pass through her like a hurricane, but she quickly pulled herself back together and pushed Link’s hands gently from her shoulders. 

Tears were forming in her eyes, but she tugged the corners of her mouth upwards, trying to mimic a smile.  
“It’s Zelda, isn’t it…?” she wiped her eyes and sniffed slightly. 

Link could almost see her heart breaking in front of him now, and he so wanted to say something that wasn't the very truth he had been trying to hide from her. 

But then Paya moved back into him and he almost wanted to move backwards - but all she did was place a kiss on his cheek “I’m happy for you.”  
He would much rather have dealt with facing Ganon again, rather than having to deal with Paya’s confusing emotions. 

She moved backwards again “I won’t tell anybody…” she now tried her very best to smile, but Link could tell she didn't meant it. He relaxed his shoulders but he could not will his lips to move.  
“Just…” with a shrug of her shoulders, Paya spoke again “Maybe, just talk a bit more. I still miss your voice…” now she gave him a genuine smile and Link started to feel slightly more relieved. 

“Thank you…” Link spoke with a hoarse voice, uncertain what else he could say. Paya’s hands were still trembling as she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and then went to pick up the towels that were stained with Link’s blood.

Before Link could move to try and help there was a commotion downstairs, and now both of them looked to the door.  
The voices from below were loud, but Link could still barely understand what they were saying. 

“Go, Link” Paya gestured him to leave “I’ll be down shortly” Link still wasn’t sure if he should, but then there was a loud shout – he wasn’t entirely sure who it came from  
“Link!” 

His look went once more to Paya before he gave out a deep sigh and then moved to the door. 

He walked down the steps, still going over what had happened between him and Paya – but as soon as he saw the alarmed expression from Dorian and Cado he forgot all of that.  
Something was wrong. However, Link remained silent – they would tell him soon enough. 

“Link” Impa walked up behind him, and he turned, looking down to her – she seemed equally concerned, and Link furrowed his brow.  
“What’s wrong?” 

“The Shrines” Dorian spoke now, and Link spun around when he said that.  
“What about them?” the voice that Link used now sounded more insistent and his heart started to beat faster.  
“They’re…” Dorian started but when he saw Link’s expression he halted, and Impa spoke from behind him. 

“They are no longer.”  
“What… what do you mean? Are they still there?” Link’s heart plummeted, and his thoughts immediately went to Zelda. He needed to get back to her – it was the only thought that was now on his mind. 

Impa passed him his slate which he had given to her to examine while he was being tended to by Paya.  
Link took the slate and looked at it – but there was nothing to look at. It was entirely blank. For some reason, he moved the slate over and then back, and he found himself speechless. He looked back to Impa who looked calm “I don’t know what has happened, Link.” 

It seemed to be a reflex as Link looked to Dorian and Cado, in the hope they would have an answer but he knew they wouldn’t have anything to add.  
“I need to leave” Link found his voice again “I need to get to her – I can’t.”  
“Your wounds, Link.” The concern etched onto Impa’s face was apparent. 

“I can’t rest here until they are healed. I need to go – I rescued her, Impa. I cannot let her be taken from me again.” His voice was stern, and he knew what he had said – this was not about the Kingdom. For him first and foremost, it was about them. 

Impa seemed to have noticed how he had said it, and she exhaled deeply.  
“Cado. Dorian. Go and prepare a horse for Link. And prepare some weapons.” Neither of them moved, both of them staring at Link and Impa. 

Impa’s gaze wandered to the guards, and she furrowed her brow – immediately bringing Cado and Dorian to attention and they left hastily. 

Link’s impatience felt slightly foolish now, and he helped Impa return to her seat, taking her stick after she had settled herself down.  
“I’m sorry Impa.” He muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed by his tone before. “I just can’t leave her again…” 

Surprisingly Impa just chuckled and shook her head “I did wonder how long it would take for this to happen – I am glad it has” She looked up to him, and Link cocked his head – trying to feign innocence.  
“I know what is happening, Link” Link’s heart started to race, and his mouth became dry “Just be gentle with Paya…” Impa looked to him “Over the last year she has become quite attached to you.” 

Link would have said something, but instead, he just lowered his head, taking a deep breath in – for some reason he felt terrible for not returning Paya’s affection and he wondered how Impa felt about it.  
But it would appear she knew about Zelda and Link, and that comforted him. 

“We will prepare a horse for you and weapons for you Link.” Impa spoke calmly “We will prepare defences for the village so this does not happen again.”

Link peered up and then nodded, remaining silent.  
“However” Impa sat up “You will stay here tonight. You cannot travel in the dark. When light breaks in the morning, you can leave”  
Although Link wanted to protest, he exhaled deeply and then nodded. Of course, he needed to get to her – but he knew that he needed to sleep tonight.  
The Gerudo would keep her safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor little Paya :(


	19. Arrogance of the Gerudo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda speaks to the Gerudo to be able to leave.  
> But with an escort she would rather not have...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chemo has really knocked me hard :( 
> 
> Was admitted for a few days unfortunately due to my epilepsy and struggled. 
> 
> Can't wait to do this for the next 6 cycles of chemo...........
> 
> Back to full health now though at least.

The heat in the room was muggy, and the sweat trickled down Zelda’s neck and back like warm soup. Her hair was tied up in the same ponytail as she had last night and the dry hair which had been plastered to her temple and neck was now starting to become damp again. 

“I am sorry about yesterday.” Riju sat calmly in her throne, observing her closely. Her facial muscles did not even twitch. Clearly, there was an ulterior motive to Riju’s statement. She wanted to extract an emotional response from Zelda.  
Earlier that morning she would have had much to say about their behaviour from yesterday – but now she remained entirely composed. 

There was a fiery edge to the Gerudo, of that there was no doubt. And if another Hylian were being presented with the statement from Riju, they would most likely have erupted with a violent temper. However, the Gerudo were well trained in masking their fury and their passion, always able to distance themselves from what was happening. And Zelda knew that. 

“There is no need to apologise, Riju. I am sorry about how I reacted.” Her hands were clasped in front of her. Even though her outward appearance appeared reserved, she was grateful that Riju could not hear the thundering of her heart in her ears.  
In her mind was a single thought – she needed to get to Link. 

There was a moment of silence in the room as Riju contemplated Zelda’s response. 

Every moment they spent in that room Zelda felt an ongoing pain coursing through her veins. Initially, that pain had only been emotional – but now she was starting to notice a physical ache which coursed through her, settling as violent nausea deep in the pit of her stomach. 

There was a small glance passed from Riju to Bulliara who continuously was glaring at her.  
The silence now was becoming uncomfortable. Instead of Zelda saying anything that could be derived as insensitive she remained quiet. But her hands started to clench into fists with her nails digging into her skin. 

How much longer were they going to test her? 

It was there – Zelda saw it. The small nod that Bulliara gave Riju. The breath she didn’t even realise she had been holding was released, and her hands relaxed again.  
The tension which had very briefly faded returned quickly as Riju spoke again. 

“I do not need to tell you, Zelda, that what happened yesterday is not something we expected. Our warriors have gone to the far reaches of our domain and have returned with the news that the shrines are indeed inert.” the concern Riju had in her voice was genuine. 

“We were given orders, by Link, that you should remain here if anything were to happen. But given the unusual situation we now found ourselves in I am concerned about our domain. And this Kingdom you are now trying to create. Can you tell me anything about what is happening?” 

So many things now ran through Zelda’s mind. Should she tell them about Link’s sword? Should she tell them about her vision? Should she tell them anything at all? The Gerudo were here to help her of course. 

“I am not sure.” she was sure – but she didn’t want to say it.  
“But I know that I need to be with Link.” 

This time Riju cast an obvious glance to Bulliara, with a mischievous glint in her eye. 

_Oh no_

Zelda’s glance darted over to Bulliara who looked stern.  
“From my understanding, you seem to have a close relationship with her” she glared at Zelda – this was not amusing to Bulliara in the slightest.  
Zelda felt her heart pounding against her chest, and a hot flush came into her face. 

_had they heard them?_

“I-” she stammered a little but composed herself quickly “I am not sure what you are referring too” she was trying to sound confident. But the breaking of her voice made that problematic.

The glare that Bulliara gave her made her flinch.  
The hot flush was now spreading over her chest, and she was sure they could not make her feel any more awkward.  
Riju’s delight in this particular conversation was not easily disguised, and she smirked, almost turning it into a full-blown grin. 

“But something is happening” Zelda blurted it out quickly, trying to change the subject.  
“I shouldn’t have even decided to leave without him. We should have travelled by horse as Link proposed.” 

“And I believe that was also my recommendation” Bulliara snapped. 

Zelda was delighted that the matter from before had been, for a while, dismissed. Thank goodness Bulliara loved being right and she was almost pleased when she stared down her nose at her. 

“Then I believe we need to get you to Impa.” Riju raised her voice breaking the stare-off between Zelda and Bulliara.  
Zelda’s heart skipped a beat – they were letting her leave! She tried not to smile. 

“But we will not let you go alone.” 

As Zelda turned to see who Riju was looking at she startled– Ilal was beside her, and she hadn’t even heard her approach. How long had she been there?  
In a moment of surprise, Zelda stared at her for longer than she probably should, but Ilal was clearly not concerned and continued to stare straight at Riju. 

“Ilal will accompany you on your travels.”  
Ilal put her head up slightly, and she darted her piercing green eyes over to Zelda. If it hadn’t been widely inappropriate, she would have refused Ilals accompaniment – instead travelling alone.  
But this was not be something the Gerudo would be happy with. Instead, she clenched her jaw and tried to come to terms with being on the road with Ilal for the next few days at least. 

She knew how Ilal felt about Link. Even without Link telling her over dinner after the races she had noticed the looks the Ilal had given him. But was that really a reason for Zelda to be so hostile towards her? 

Whatever it was, she was going to have to live with it. For at least the next few days.  
“Thank you, Riju.” 

With Ilal looking so poised and elegant Zelda started to feel quite scruffy and unkempt, and she shifted slightly – moving the weight from one leg to the other. Jealously did not become a Princess of Hyrule. 

“We have sent clothes to your room. And provisions” Riju hopped from her chair “We wish you all the best, Zelda.”  
For a very brief moment, Zelda did think that Riju was going to come and embrace her – however, she spoke to Ilal in their mother tongue.  
This time she could distinguish a few words. Protection. Honour. Words the Gerudo used frequently. 

Then Ilal stood to attention with a single word from Riju. Zelda wished she knew what it was. 

\--

Ilal was so much shorter than all of the Gerudo that Zelda had met. In fact not much taller than Gerudo child.  
She had been surprised by this – as she was very much respected in the Gerudo Guards. Whenever she saw her she had always been hidden in the shadows of the training yard – usually sharpening a blade or restringing a bow.  
Looking at her though, she would never have thought she was a warrior, apart from the Scimitar and the Royal bow attached to her back. 

The classic Gerudo beauty was almost perfected in her. Apart from her height.  
Everything about her was statuesque and graceful. 

Being with her now she contemplated what she actually did for the Gerudo – whatever it was, it was significant. Likely the reason that Riju had asked Ilal to accompany her. 

“We will travel to the Gerudo stables. And no further” This was a statement from Ilal, rather than a question.  
Zelda couldn’t help but roll her eyes out of site of the Gerudo. Surely she would be the one giving orders.  
“and before you think you will be giving orders” Zelda stood up and turned to her, looking irritated. “I have been told to protect you. As much as Mistress Link would have. Therefore if I say what needs to happen, you will do it.” 

There was a wave of anger boiling beneath Zelda’s skin now – this was not how she should be spoken to. Certainly not by – by whatever Ilal was.  
Zelda must have looked angry as Ilal just sighed. It was a sigh of exasperation.

“If we are going to travel together, Lady Hyrule, I feel we should maybe have a bit more of an understanding of what it is that annoys you so much about me so we can just get it over and done with”  
Ilal’s bluntness took Zelda aback, and she wasn’t sure how to respond. From a Gerudo Warrior, however, she should not have expected anything else. 

“If this is to do with my affection for Link” Zelda’s heart plummeted to her feet – of course, this is what annoyed her, but she never would have said it. She thought she had hidden it quite well. But apparently not.  
“Then please, rest assured that nothing has happened between us.” 

The arrogance that Ilal said that with surprised and infuriated her – of course, nothing had happened between them.  
Link was hers. As much as she wanted to just tell her that, she remained silent. She could not be jealous.

Ilal did not even wait for a reply as she went to mount Artax with a grace only she would be able to pull off.  
In the entirety of this conversation, Zelda had not been able to say anything. At least with Link, she was the talkative one. But this time it would seem that she would be silent most of the time. 

They just needed to get to Kakariko village – then she could be done with her. 

“We will travel to the Gerudo Stables. And no further” Ilal was certainly not going to be argued with, but this time Zelda spoke  
“I will travel as far as I feel we need to!” she sounded indignant, but Ilal was not going to be negotiated with. 

“Lady Hyrule – I imagine you would last maybe half a day without me. You will stay at the Gerudo Stables.”  
There was no heat in her voice.  
“You are, to me, something I need to protect. Your status, your role, I do not care about.” Carefully spoken without any source of drama, her voice had a sense of finality to it.  
This was the way of the Gerudo. Strategic. Calculated. And in no way compromising. 

Even though Zelda felt a worsening irritation in her anger – even a sort of impetuousness – there was nothing she could retort. She needed Ilal – as much as she currently despised her.  
Ilal was right. Despite her training with the bow, she doubted she would survive long. 

“Fine” Zelda tried to soften her features. Being angry would not help. It just took energy. 

Ilal now gave a nod and waited for Zelda to mount Epona.

This was going to be a difficult journey. 

\--

“In the morning we will continue our journey” Ilal had already handed money over to the Stable keeper, and she pointed to one of the cots in the far corner of the room.  
“You will sleep there. I will keep watch.” 

Zelda was starting to feel more and more like a child, and no matter how much she tried to pull herself out of that role, it was not going to happen.  
Instead, there was a nod from her, and she pulled her satchel from her shoulder, moving over to the cot and flinging her bag onto the bed in anger. 

Link was really the only person who would ever understand her role in the Kingdom.  
Her thoughts wondered to him now. Was he injured? Was he safe? 

She looked over her hand and saw the dim tri-force just about visible. She knew Link was alive – that at least she could tell. For a brief moment, she now considered that this would be the second night they had spent apart – since her rescue that had not happened. And she missed him terribly. Even if mostly it was just his presence that she felt. But the last time they had been together, she had slept in his arms. 

With a deep sigh, she pulled her legs over the cot and laid down. The hunger in her stomach caused it to rumble, and she knew the thought of food came to her mind. But the swirling nausea she continued to feel was at odds with that. 

All of the muscles in her body now started to relax, and the weight of even lifting her hand was difficult. Let alone trying to get the bow and quiver off her back.  
Sleep was tugging her into the unknown, and she closed her eyes. Maybe just a few seconds. 

The darkness surrounded her again – a nightmare. Even though she had seen it before and knew what it was – the terror and anxiety enveloping her were far beyond her control.  
Her hands started to tremble slightly as she walked into the darkness. Not today, not now. 

_I just want to sleep._

A noise made her spin around – this time it was not what she usually saw. There was no Ganon, no pressing despair bearing down on her like before.  
Instead, there was a shadow which darted around her, and she turned to see it again. It was dark – why could she even see it? 

_“What are you.”_

Her voice echoed into the gloom, and she turned again, noticing she still had the bow on her back. This was not how it usually was.  
Scrambling she went to pull the weapon off her back, grabbing an arrow with her shaking hand. 

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. 

The shadow moved again now, and she fired the arrow.  
She stayed where she was, her feet planted, her heart beating fast, the string of the bow just beside her face. Had she hit it? 

Her bow was lowered, and her heart rate started to settle.  
This was not how it usually was.  
Then it came from behind, hitting her in the back and she fell forward. 

-

With a sudden flex of her muscles she was awake. Her heart rate pounding – sweat dripping down her face. There was talking in the stables now, and so she sat up trying and listen. 

“How weird. It’s been a while since we saw that” 

“Huh, yeah. I thought once that weird smoke over the castle disappeared that would have been it. How many months has it been? Six? seven?” 

“six I think. I’m not sure. I never really noticed.” 

This made no sense – what were they talking about? 

Her glance swept the stables and then she saw what they must have been talking about.  
She thought she must still be sleeping. A swirl of dark red smoke came off the ground outside the stables and then disappeared. 

Then it happened again – this time the swirl looked more like a flame. A small speck of blackness died mid-air and then vanished. 

Her thoughts stopped in their tracks. She knew what it was.  
She scrambled out of bed, stumbling over her satchel in the dark, but able to catch herself on one of the bedposts. 

The bright red light that shone into the room was unmistakable and coming out of the stable she saw it.  
A full moon – blood red.  
Her heart stopped. 

Ilal was outside surprised at her appearance. Her arms were crossed, and she leaned against the stable door. Entirely indifferent to what was happening – as she should be. In her life, this would have been a monthly occurrence.  
“It’s been a while.” Ilal cast her gaze back up to the sky, marvelling at it. 

Zelda’s speech had now wholly escaped her, and in the silence, all she could hear was her heart beating against her chest.  
This could not be. 

“You should be sleeping, Lady Hyrule” Ilal pushed herself off the door and uncrossed her arms “There are a few hours until morning.” 

“I know what this is…” her voice was hoarse as she looked up. “I can’t wait. I need to get to him” her voice sounded more panic-stricken than what she wanted it to be.  
How could this be happening?


	20. The Black Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Paya manage to part ways on good terms 
> 
> Impa finds rumours about what is happening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO glad that chemo is over.  
> Starting to feel a bit more relaxed now. 
> 
> Thanks for the comments before - I really appreciate them
> 
> Had started on this chapter before - so able to release it sooner than I thought. 
> 
> I had been doing a lot of research on Dark Link so have now settled with this
> 
> I have been reading some of my writing from when I started and really need to tidy it all up. Have started already with Chapter 1 and 2 - it's all the same content, just written in a (more comprehensible) manner   
> It would appear that practice does make you a 'sort of okay' writer

Link was alone in Paya’s room, settled on the bed. Impa had told him to sleep. He had been tossing and turning through the last few hours. But to no avail.  
The fire in the hearth was now starting to die down – producing the last few pitiful hisses and sparks. The dying embers were the only light which provided a dim, soft glow in the room. 

Zelda would be on her own tonight. This is not what he was meant for – he was meant to be there. He was expected to protect her. 

Those thoughts occupied the entirety of his mind while he lay there. Nothing else counted. No matter how Impa had scolded him to rest, at least for the night, he couldn’t.  
With a deep sigh, he pushed himself up, feeling the burning pain in his shoulder. In return, he took a sharp, deep breath in and then felt the pain from his broken ribs. 

The purple bruise had now started to spread – almost encasing his entire flank. He pressed it hard, hoping to somehow ease it.  
At the same time, he could feel blood trickling down his back from the gash on his shoulder. Paya had been insistent not to dress the wound tonight. Instead, placing a towel where he was going to lay saying the air would help the healing process. 

Paya had also placed a small amount of potion on the bedside table. For pain. But he refused it – much as he had tried to refuse the alcohol from Cado. In no way did he want to feel that sensation again – of not being in control of his actions and incredibly nauseous. 

He continued to massage his flank, hoping the pain would improve. Mipha did not seem to be there anymore – to alleviate his wounds and heal him. Maybe this time he had done too much. 

He thought about what had happened in the battle. It had not occurred to him to use Urbosa’s fury, and he wondered if this would have changed it. Unable to remember when he last used Revali’s gale he did know that Daruk’s protection had shielded him from the Lynel he had fought with Zelda all those weeks ago.  
Maybe Mipha had not returned to him after the thoughts he had had about her only a few days ago. He still felt a pang of guilt about that. 

His head was starting to hurt, and he rubbed his temples then trailing through his blond hair. No longer could he wait there. He needed to leave. That creature was still out there, and the thought of it finding Zelda made him almost gag.  
But maybe it wasn’t just that. Link’s mouth filled with saliva and bile as if he was going to vomit but he calmed himself. Taking deep breaths in and out. 

He could remember this feeling from long before being with Zelda after he had been ‘training’ with one of the much larger guards. He didn’t know his name but remembered he loathed him for being chosen by the sword.  
If it had only been him, Link would have easily won. But there were others. And he was young. 

It was almost as if he could taste the blood on his tongue. He recovered physically. But not mentally.  
The guard never liked him due to his young age. And once he was chosen by the sword, he was almost wholly shunned. And for a while, he wanted that – he preferred to be seen as distant to any outsiders. 

But once he was assigned to Zelda his life changed dramatically. Although she had detested him for those first few years, he knew that he had loved her from the moment he saw her.  
Back then all of that love was channelled into protecting her. But the closer they got to the calamity, the more of it started to show itself in different ways. 

Maybe, at some point, he would know how. It pained him to see that Zelda remembered it all but she had always been so closed off about it. 

“Link” Paya walked into the room with a tea tray, and Link looked up. The cups clinked as Paya placed it onto the desk with trembling hands having seen him.  
“You look awful” she ran over to him, sitting next to him and placing her hand around his waist. 

“We could hear you downstairs.”  
“We?”  
“Impa and me.” Her voice was soft, but Link didn’t look at her. For some reason, the way she acted around him now felt different. Although really nothing had changed.  
She was compassionate – she always had been. But then was compassion so different to love? The pang of guilt rocked through him, and he stiffened up. 

“I need to go, Paya. I can’t stay here” maybe the reason was because of her. Maybe it was because of Zelda. He wasn’t sure. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” her hand unwrapped from Link’s waist and he suddenly felt a deep emptiness. 

But maybe that is what he needed. He needed to feel empty again and regain that stoic demeanour.  
He needed to build it all back up again – all of the barricades. Zelda had broken through all of them with ease. Her love had been a turning page for him.  
But for now, he needed to distance himself from it all. Much as the Gerudo did. 

He tried to stand but stars clouded his vision, and he felt dizzy. He grabbed the bedpost as he collapsed back and Paya pulled him back on the bed. 

“I’m fine…” Even without looking at himself he had felt the colour drain out of his face. He was clearly not fine, but he would never admit it. 

“You can’t go. I won’t let you. And none of the others will either” Paya sounded more defiant than she ever had before. If he hadn’t felt so unwell, he would have tried to retort. 

“Lie down Link. You need to rest…” her voice immediately was softer now – almost as if she felt she had been too firm.  
Link could feel her lift his legs up onto the bed, causing him to lay down. Even moving his head made him feel dizzy. 

His gaze focussed on Paya as he watched her pull the covers over him, tucking her hair behind her ear, never looking at him. 

“Thank you, Paya” the words escaped his lips before they had even formed on his tongue.  
“For what…?” her voice remained quiet, but she slowed what she was doing, very briefly glancing at him. 

“For… just being you.” His mind was now starting to become slightly hazy.  
“I’m sorry for not being what you wanted me to be.”  
His voice sounded distant now, almost as if it wasn’t coming from him. He had never been this emotional towards anyone, other than Zelda. 

A smile crept across Paya’s lips, and she moved her hand up to Link’s hairline, gently brushing over it.  
“You are everything I want you to be.” 

She didn’t hesitate as she pulled her hair behind her ear and placed her lips onto his forehead for the briefest moment. 

“But me loving you… doesn’t give me any rights to your heart.” Her smile was gentle “I just want you to be happy. And I know Zelda will do that for you. So please… don’t feel guilty.” 

As soon as she said it he seemed to relax – the sense of guilt deep in his stomach seemed to settle.  
Looking at her he worried if she would start to cry. But in the dim light, he couldn’t tell. His eyes began to drift shut without him having any control over it. 

Blackness then started to come over him, and Link was dragged into the darkness. Into a beautiful, dreamless sleep.  
\--

As Link started to rouse from his heavy slumber he initially felt the coldness of the air – Paya had left a window open, and he could smell the rain which would come shortly – a storm blown down from the mountain.  
His eyes adjusted to the first light of the dawn as he opened them. The clothes he had on were damp, and he wondered if he had been sweating in the night. Most likely the reason Paya had opened the window. 

Slowly he pulled himself up – feeling better than what he had the night before. His head was clearer and he the pain he felt had subsided significantly.  
For a moment all of it had felt like a dream – but then the sudden realisation of Zelda not being there crashed into him, and he was pushed back into reality again. 

He tried to set himself further up but heard the thud of a cup falling to the floor. The cold tea spilt over the rug, and Paya immediately shot up looking to the cup and then to Link.  
She had been sitting by the side of the bed all that night, and as Link stared at her, she started to blush.  
“Sorry – I just didn’t want you to be alone” her hands which had been resting on his legs were pulled away, and she stiffened up. 

“Thank you, Paya.” there was nothing else for him to say. He was genuinely thankful for her being there – likely the presence of her just being there had made him sleep.  
Unsure what to do Paya just stared at him before she finally managed to mimic a smile. There wasn’t anything to say as she stood up, picking up the cup from the floor. 

As she busied herself with clearing the tea, he watched her closely. Her hands were still trembling slightly, and Link stood.  
This time there was no dizziness. No stars in his vision.  
With two strides Link was by Paya’s side. As he held her hand, he turned her around, placing his arms around her. He could smell her – she smelt of books and lavender. A pleasant scent and he worried why he had never experienced it before.

So many of his senses were coming back to him – some of them he found overwhelming. But others, like this, made him feel more human.  
Paya’s arms crept slowly around him, and she placed her head onto his shoulder. As they stood in silence Link could start to hear the patter of water – the rain had started, and the sky became darker. Now the strong smell of the summer rain rushed into the room. 

A thunder clash rocked through the room, and Paya held Link tighter before she released him.  
“You need to speak to Impa.” She wouldn’t look at him as she brushed a single tear out of her eye. Link sighed deeply. He didn’t want it to end like this. Much as he hadn’t wanted it to end with Paya’s kiss. 

He wanted them to be friends – in this strange world in which he now lived, he had so few. What she had said yesterday rang true in his ears now that his head was clearer.  
She was right – it didn’t give her any rights to his heart. But it did give her rights to his love. 

Previously Link would just be able to avoid all of these difficult conversations – not because he wanted to. But because he had no relation to what they were about – it was as if everything was happening in front of him, but not to him.  
Zelda had teased all of this out of him, and he was a different person for it. A better person, so he thought. But when he saw what he was doing to Paya, he wasn’t sure. 

But maybe that was what everything was about.  
“I know, it’s not the same” Link started to say the words, unsure where they would take him next “But I do love you. Just not in the way you would like me to. And I’m sorry about that.” 

Paya stiffened up, and she held her breath slightly before she released. She looked up, and she looked happy – much to Link’s surprise.  
“Thank you, Link. For being honest with me.” Tears were running down her face – but she still looked happy.  
If he had seen this only a few months before, he wouldn’t have known how to gauge her reaction. But now he knew. 

“Come” Paya wiped the last tears out of her face and grabbed the tea tray, “Impa said she needed to see you as soon as you were awake.”  
Again, she was smiling. All of the blushing and stammering around him seemed to have vanished – they were just friends. 

“I’ll be done shortly.”  
Paya almost beamed at him and then walked out of the room. The clinking and clattering of the tray accompanying her.  
He watched her leave and stood there for a while. But as the second crash of thunder resounded in the room Link turned and went to close the window – the curtains billowing in the wind. As he looked out into the village, he saw the foreboding sky and the memories of that last recollection with Zelda pushed into his thoughts.  
There was no way he was going to lose her again. 

\--

“Link, thank goodness” Impa’s voice had a sense of relief to it. Paya had shown Link into the small room where Impa had been rooting through her records. Papers, manuscripts and books lay spread out over the tables with no regard for tidiness.  
It looked a lot like Zelda’s study.  
After the calamity. 

He glanced over some of the books – some of them were in languages he couldn’t understand. Others he could – but he had no comprehension of what they were trying to suggest. 

“What is-?  
“Come here Link” Impa interrupted, beckoning him over to her. Tiredness could not even describe how drained she looked as Link came closer.  
“You need to see this” she pointed to one of the books and Link glanced at it, furrowing his brow.  
It took him a while to work out what Impa was trying to convey.  
In the chapter, she showed him there was something about Shadows. Mirrors. Creatures of the dark. 

The corners of his lips tugged downwards, and he looked at Impa “I don’t understand.”  
“You do, Link” Impa looked worried “What you fought yesterday. I believe this is what it could be.”  
She tried to get off the chair she was standing on, and Link grabbed her gently, assisting her off the stool. 

“It’s called the Black Mirror.” She was still speaking as she walked back over to find another paper “It is something long forgotten. In fact, I had to look through so many books to even find any reference to it.” 

As she was rooting through Papers, Link picked up one of the books. A small passage was written which had been highlighted with a red pen.

_‘The Mirror of Darkness was told to produce creatures of the dark which bore a significant similarity to whoever was reflected in it. Whatever was good, was bad. Whatever was honourable, was corrupt.  
From our own research, we have found this Mirror to most likely be a legend with no suggestion it ever even existed.’ _

“Here” Impa placed a manuscript over the book that Link was reading, and he took it with another hand, putting the book on the table. 

_‘The Black Mirror had been thought to be a legend. But from our research, there has been evidence it is in fact quite real._

_The Kings of Hyrule had always been just. And yet, one King, King Ramall was known to be cruel, vicious and corrupt._  
_It was said he was King Erolph’s brother who previously had reigned for years as a kind, honourable and gracious King. He died only a few months before King Ramall's rule._  
_But from the records of the family tree of Hyrule monarchs, we have no evidence that he had a brother – only a sister named Princess Tariath._

_Little is known about how he came to power – but regardless his reign was cruel and lasted many years._  
_It was said that there was a secret room at the bottom of Hyrule castle where the Mirror was kept.  
We hypothesise that King Ramall was indeed a reflection of King Erolph. _

_King Ramall was killed by an uprising of the people, and his body was never found. His sister, Queen Thariath took the throne._

_Our previous research has shown no other real evidence of creatures like this. But we have seen many reports of people who had previously been of good standing overnight becoming cruel and vile._  
_In fact, a legend says that the Legendary Hero of Hyrule had also had a reflection in the Dark Mirror, but none of this has been proven to be correct.’  
_

“When was this written?” Link looked up from the paper – still confused.  
“Many hundreds of years ago, Link. King Ramall was a ruler like no other. And we hope to never have one like him again. I have read accounts of his reign” Impa’s voice became quiet.  
“I wonder if that mirror is in fact where it says it used to be.” 

Link was now running through everything in his mind – trying to catch up to where Impa was.  
“You are saying there is a room in the castle – with this ‘mirror’ in it?”  
“Yes” 

The way Impa said it, with such confidence, made Link have to go over it all one more time. How could there be a room which they hadn’t found? Zelda and himself had been thorough in exploring the entirety of the castle before leaving for the Zora domain.  
His mind was still surging in complexity, but then he finally spoke again  
“I have never seen a mirror like that. And certainly, never been reflected into anything in a secret room in the castle.” 

Impa already had an answer for this “Yes, but did you see what the creature was wearing?”  
Link wanted to retort that he was obviously wearing the same as him – but he wasn’t. He was wearing a plain tunic and a strange, floppy hat. 

“I believe this creature was in the castle. That it was a previous reflection of yourself. I am however, still not sure who took the Mirror. Or how they knew where to find it.” 

It would seem that Impa had been able to think about this for a lot longer than Link and he sat down on one of the wooden chairs – mulling it all over in his head.  
“Is this something to do with the Calamity?”  
“It never used to be. But now, I am not sure…” Impa looked at Link with a concerning look  
“I believe that Kel was reflected in that mirror.” 

Again, he was trying to pull all of this together – every complexity of the story. Then it hit him like a punch to the stomach “If Kel is a reflection – then he is still with Zelda in the Gerudo domain.” 

The look that Impa gave Link was that of utmost concern “I believe so.”  
Link stood up, dropping the paper to the floor “I need to leave, Impa. My wounds have been tended to, I have rested. I need to leave” 

Impa passed a look to Paya who nodded. 

“I agree.” Link was almost floored by her response. Clearly, she must be worried – she would otherwise have made him stay until his wounds were healed. 

“You need to find our Princess, Link. Go, prepare yourself. We will provide you as much as we can.”


	21. The first battle before the war

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally they are together again - but in circumstances they would rather not have to face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so done with going into the hospital now...
> 
> Another admission for seizures. Hence the delay in updating. 
> 
> Meds have been increased - very much refusing to go onto Dexmethasone at the moment. But time will tell. 
> 
> thanks for reading - I am aware that this whole thing will probably be infinitely long.   
> Sorry. But it is keeping me sane. (as sane as you can with constant admissions to hospital....) 
> 
> thanks again x

The rain was pelting into Link’s face as the storm was getting worse.   
The mare he was on was being incredibly challenging and was clearly not able to cope with the loud clashing of lighting and rumbling of thunder.   
When they travelled to the Stables just outside Kakariko, he did notice the mare was slightly wary – but if he knew she would be like this he certainly would not have brought her any further and found another horse to take. 

The selection in the stables was certainly scarce - but maybe Epona had just made any other horse seem entirely inferior. 

The horse reared, and Link tried to soothe her, pulling in her reigns at the same time. This was not the swift journey he wanted back to Gerudo town.   
Now his horse was starting to buck as another clash of lightning lit up the sky. 

It was with great difficulty he managed to sooth the mare enough to even walk in a straight line. But Link could still see the panic in her eyes. 

Thankfully they had just reached one of the large Bokoblin outposts outside of the duel peaks. Now there was no life – but the wooden platform offered a small area of shelter for them. And there was no way he would be able to continue until the storm had settled at least a little. 

He pulled the horse into the shelter and then dismounted. Immediately he went to check his equipment on the saddle bag - it was covered by woolen blankets to protect it from the lightning. In the past, he had been foolish enough to carry swords or bows with him - and that had been a big mistake. 

Link rummaged around, pulling a small satchel out from the covers, swinging it over his shoulder. 

Very gently Link pulled the reigns of the horse further into the shelter and she followed. It seemed just being out of the rain had calmed her significantly and it was almost as if she was a completely different horse. 

Under cover of the outpost Link tied the horse’s reigns to the wooden poles holding the boarded floor up.  
Link pulled an apple out of his satchel to give to her, patting her shoulder gently.   
Already she looked calmer despite the storm raging outside. It seemed she just didn’t want to be in the rain. Link couldn't blame her - he certainly didn't want to be in this weather either but he needed to be, to get to Zelda. 

The sky above however did not show any signs of ending the storm and Link gave out a large frustrated sigh. He was still uncertain what time it was - but given how far they had travelled at such a slow speed he suspected it must have been dusk. 

With reluctance he went to settle by the tree - a few drops of rain started to fall onto his head where the platform had not been brought up flush to the tree.   
Instead of moving he simply pulled up the rain-soaked hood again to cover him before pulling the satchel from before onto his lap. It had been packed by Paya and in his rush to leave the village he had not had a chance to check what he had been given for his journey. 

There were a few potions which Paya gave him for pain – wrapped in a muslin cloth to keep them protected. Then some apples, bread and some dried meat of which he wasn’t sure what animal it came from. But that had never stopped him before. 

With no hesitation, he pulled the dried meat out of the bag and bit off a large piece - and even having tasted it, he still wasn’t sure what creature it had come from.   
Not that he really cared. It was food and his stomach had already started to rumble.

With the meat still in his hand, he went to rummage through the rest of the bag, and a small checkered cloth piqued his interest.   
He pulled out in curiosity, opening it and a small note fell out. Two little pastries – if he could call them that as they were awfully misshapen– were tucked carefully into it.   
He picked up the note that accompanied them and read it.   
It was from Cottla – thanking him for what he had done. For rescuing her with Claree. 

She had drawn a small picture on the bottom of the page of a stick figure Link killing a, what looked like, Lizarfos.   
As in this picture Link was cutting off the Lizarfos head she had been very liberal with the red tones and Link smirked.   
There was a small note at the bottom.

_PS Koko helped – but it was all me really._

Link carefully folded the note and placed it back into the bag, swallowing the dried meat and putting that into his satchel for later.  
As he picked up one of the pastries, it almost fell apart. They were undoubtedly crisp – most likely even burnt at the top. But the bottoms of them were incredibly soggy with globs of dark jam spilling out. Instead of trying to find a cloth Link just pushed it into his mouth, unconcerned with what it was. 

Now he could taste the burnt areas but was then pleasantly surprised by the sweetness of the jam. It tasted like plum jam – most likely from the trees which Mellie had looked after. 

A rumble of thunder resounded again, and Link peered over to his mare who, as he suspected, was entirely disinterested by the rumbling and crashing and instead was grazing quite contently, flicking her ears in enjoyment. 

After he had eaten one of the pastries, he repacked everything into the bag and briefly considered having a small amount of the potions that Paya had given him. The pain in his shoulder was throbbing now, and he could feel the bandages which Paya had applied quite firmly, now starting to slide down his chest. 

But he resisted – not now. There would, unfortunately, be other times, and he suspected the pain would get worse rather than better. 

Once more, he gazed upwards, but there was no chance of the sky clearing. He would just have to settle down and maybe sleep. Or at least rest his eyes until his mare would allow him to force her back into the rain. 

With the tree at his back, he relaxed, placing his hands over his chest and closing his eyes. 

He felt as if he had only just closed them when his ears twitched – for no reason that he could identify.   
The rain was still lashing down, and he noted that the shelter they were under had started to drip in various places.   
The strange feeling he had was still there, and he felt his heart rate increasing. Something was wrong. He got up silently – waiting for a noise, a smell, anything that would give him some sort of inkling on what was going on. 

Then he saw it. It was as if a red smoke had taken over the land – coming and going. Twisting and spiralling as if the strong wind wasn’t there. 

A noise came from above – flat feet slapping over wet wood. A noise which caused his horse to rear and whinny – raising the attention of the creatures above. They seemed to stop for a moment and then the slapping sound thundered to the edge of the platform. Two Bokoblins appeared first, followed by a Lizarfos. 

Engaging in a battle now would be pointless. It wasn’t so much if he could win – he knew he would – but there would have been so much time wasted.   
Running now was the most sensible thing – and given the lightning which was still flashing above intermittently, he wouldn’t be able to use his sword. Not without a significant risk of injury.   
The wounds he had already sustained over the last few days seemed quite enough. 

His horse whinnied again, and he ran over to her. He had never run from a battle before that he knew of. But that was a secondary consideration - he could deal with his pride being hurt if it meant he could get to Zelda sooner. 

Untying the reigns, Link found the mare trying to pull away, and he was dragged with her – only just managing to find the stirrup to pull him onto the saddle.  
The screaming of the Bokoblins behind them caused Link to kick his heels together, and when an arrow hissed past his head, he found his horse increasing her pace as well. 

As the creatures behind were falling away, Link’s mind raced to Zelda and the Gerudo. If only they knew what danger they were in.

\--

Zelda awoke early in the morning with a pounding headache. Her memories of the night before were hazy, and she tried to remember what had happened.   
The blood moon came into her mind almost immediately, and her heart started to race. However, after that, there was nothing. 

She sat herself up and immediately felt her temple – the headache was now pulsing with her heartbeat, making her feel as if her head was going to explode. 

“I am glad you are awake, Lady Hyrule.” Zelda was squinting but manage to peer at Ilal who was sitting beside her bed.   
“I will be taking you back to Gerudo Town shortly.” 

Sleep was immediately forgotten, and Zelda pulled her legs over the bed, tangling herself in the sheets in which she had been covered. The dizziness she felt as soon as she moved made her hold her head, closing her eyes to steady herself.   
“You gave me something last night – didn’t you?!” Zelda tried to sound as angry as she could – but her voice was croaky, which made the anger difficult to express. 

“You were becoming panic-stricken and unreasonable. I gave you something to calm you.”   
Ilal stood “We will go-“   
“No!!” Zelda shouted loudly, and a few of the patrons in the stables started to look at them. Ilal was entirely unmoved by all of this and just looked down at Zelda. 

“You are doing as I say, Lady Hyrule. I am not being negotiated with.” certainly her tone implied this statement - but Zelda would try anyway. 

“If I don’t go, Link dies!” as soon as she said it her heart started to thunder in her chest. That fear had been in her mind since he left. But as soon as she voiced that thought to Ilal, she suddenly realised it was true. He could die. And she would not be with him. 

Even if Ilal did not let her leave, she would fight tooth and nail to get away from her anyway. She would never leave him ever again. 

Ilal didn’t respond. Instead, she just crossed her arms, glaring at her.   
The moments of silence in the room were becoming tenser. But Zelda was absolutely not going back to Gerudo town. 

“You need to let me go, Ilal. I don’t care if I go alone – I need to find him.” Zelda’s voice was unwavering, and she stood up, trying to ignore the fact that she needed to hold onto the bedpost to steady herself. 

Ilal gave a small huff, and Zelda wondered if she could see a small smile creep onto her face.   
“Very well. We travel. But you will do as I say when I say it. There is no room for error.” 

Zelda’s heart jumped as she spoke – she didn’t want to wait any longer, worried she would change her mind at any point. The bow and quiver had been pulled from her back the night before, and she was now frantically trying to find them.

“Your weapons are on the horse. As is your satchel.” The smile from Ilals face had disappeared, and she seemed to be back to her usual, cantankerous self “If you want something to eat, do so now. I have no intention of stopping on the way.”  
“No – we leave now” Zelda’s body swung around in an instant. There was no time for eating – her mind was entirely focused on Link. Ilal stared at her, raising her eyebrows.  
Oh, Goddesses, that was it. She had changed her mind. 

“Then, come. The horses are ready.”   
Ilal turned to the entrance - but Zelda couldn’t help it “Thank you, Ilal.”   
Ilal stopped, not looking at her. There were a few moments of silence before she spoke “Come, Lady Hyrule. We have a long ride ahead of us.” 

\--

They had nothing much to say to each other – Zelda had essentially stopped talking as after every question she asked Ilal, she responded with only single-word answers.   
So instead, she started to look around the ruined stone gates – remembering how magnificent they once were.   
Now the imposing structures were starting to crumble into the canyon below.   
Their decay was a marker of how long she had been in that castle with Ganon – all of those uncounted days where day and night blurred into each other. 

Above it all, she could see Vah Naboris – standing as a silent protector above the canyon, and she found comfort in its presence. The blood moon had been there – but at least Ganon had not taken over the beasts. If all of this was indeed Ganon. 

Finally, they emerged from the Canyons in the late afternoon moving into a vast grassland – scorched by the sun with only two or three large trees visible.  
Zelda’s gaze immediately fell onto the Jeh Noh shrine – also entirely inert and she couldn’t help but feel the sting of disappointment. Even though she knew that would be the case. 

Epona had now come to a stop, and Ilal turned, looking to Zelda “Lady Hyrule?”   
With a start, Zelda was brought out of her thoughts, and she stared at Ilal for a while. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to” she realised she was apologising for nothing – but it was just one of those things ingrained into her being. Really she needed to stop doing it - it did not make for a good ruler. 

Ilal stared at her for a moment, presumably making sure there wasn’t anything else.   
“I’m fine” Zelda reemphasised, but Ilal still looked at her with suspicion. But then Ilals eyes focused on something behind Zelda.  
Had anything followed them? 

She turned, and there was a frozen second when a shadow flashed past her. For some reason, she went to grab her bow - knowing immediately it was a threat. But Epona reared and she was thrown onto her back, pushing the air out of her lungs. 

In a flash Ilal was by her side, shielding her from whatever enemy they were facing. She scrambled up, still breathless and then saw him. 

“No – that’s our friend! You can’t-“she went to grab Ilal, but as she looked into Kel’s eyes, she flinched. The expectation was to see the pristine red of the Sheikah – but there was nothing. Not that the eyes weren’t there – but they were just deep pools of darkness. Even looking at them, Zelda could feel the depth of sorrow and pain, and she recoiled. That wasn’t Kel.

Before she could think of anything else, Ilal had lunged forward, swinging Kel’s sword out of his hand and then kicking him with such a force that he fell several feet backwards. 

Ilal pushed her towards the canyon where they had come from “Go, Zelda! Run!”   
Zelda saw Ilal move her blade back into an attack position as Kel approached – those eyes immediately seeped all of the life out of her body, and she felt herself shudder. 

“Go!!” Ilal repeated her statement – this time with some emotion in her voice, and this worried Zelda more than anything. She had promised Ilal she would listen – and although she didn’t want to, she ran.

But the Bokoblins emerged before she had the chance to move – emitting ear-splitting screeches. It felt like they had appeared from nowhere but clearly that didn’t matter at the moment. 

It was an instinct that Zelda didn’t know she had. Her bow was in her hands, and an arrow was pulled from her quiver with the confidence of a skilled archer. The string of the bow was pulled taught, and she fired - hitting one of the Bokoblins in the leg.   
It screeched and stopped for a moment, and Zelda could see the dark blood oozing from its wound. 

Another arrow had been knocked, and she fired again, this time hitting the Bokoblin in the chest. It squealed and then collapsed into a heap. Crimson, almost black blood oozed out of the two wounds. 

In any other circumstance, she would have rejoiced in her first kill – but the second Bokoblin who was thundering towards her erased any sense of celebration.   
Clearly, it was unworried by the fall of its comrade. 

Zelda backed up, pulling the string again to fire an arrow – but the creature was over her almost immediately, squealing and snorting – globs of saliva dripping onto her face. 

She reached for the small dagger on her belt and pulled it out quickly, stabbing the creature in its guts before it was able to strike her with its sword.   
But it still squealed, almost ignoring the wound she had just inflicted. It tried to pull away from the dagger, but Zelda was not going to let this happen. 

The dagger was plunged in further before she turned it and then sliced upwards with a force she didn’t know she had. The slimy, foetid entrails spilt over her silk top and she could feel the warmth of it on her skin, causing her to grimace. The final howl from the creature was somewhere between pain and anger before it dissolved into smoke. 

However, the dark, wet blood remained on her top and her dagger, and it was difficult not to feel disgusted by it. 

Immediately she scrambled back up – placing the dagger into the sheath, and with shaking hands, she grabbed the bow which she had thrown to one side.   
Two more Bokoblins were now storming towards her – one of them was a distinct silver colour, and she tried her very hardest to stand firm. It was either them or her. 

Ilal was behind her, and she heard the clashing of swords and shouts from Kel – the longer they fought, the angrier he sounded. The scream from him was screeching and totally inhuman. 

But the other Bokoblins were still upon her, and she needed to keep her wits together. She remembered what Link had told her and took a deep breath in. She could do this. 

Another arrow was fired hitting the Bokoblin in the arm, but this time it didn’t stop – it just kept on going. She knocked another arrow and shot – the arrow this time pierced the creature in the shoulder causing it to fall. 

She was surprised at her ability to kill – but also disgusted by it. She shouldn’t be able to erase life so quickly – even if it was monsters, they were dealing with. Her bow was raised again, and she shot the Bokoblin on the floor once more, hitting it in the skull, and it dissolved into a billow of smoke. 

Then the noise she didn’t want to hear came from behind her – a large thud and the clanging of a sword falling onto the ground. She turned immediately – the Bokoblins ahead of her forgotten.   
Ilal was on her back – still very much alive but covered in scrapes and bruises from the battle. 

Ilals anger was palpable, and she tried to get up to grab her sword, but Kel was on her, pushing his foot onto her chest and raising his sword to strike her.   
This time there was no time for error and Zelda had pulled out another arrow taking a deep breath to steady herself before shooting. 

The arrow hit Kel’s shoulder, and his head snapped up, looking to her with those black eyes causing Zelda to flinch slightly. Ilal was now wholly forgotten as Kel moved towards her like a predator.

She clenched her jaw, moving backwards but she wasn’t finished, and she wouldn’t be until she was dead. Another arrow was fired which now hit Kel in the chest – but there was no reaction, just a constant drive to get to her. His eyes showed a deep hatred but his face was emotionless.

She was not going to go down without a fight, and she threw the bow onto the floor – pulling out the blade, still dripping with the dark blood from the Bokoblin. 

It was so swift that Zelda wasn’t even sure if she had seen it. A flash of a blade from behind her, blood-curdling screams from two creatures and then Link was in front of her.  
He pulled her forcefully backwards by her wrist, shielding her from Kel.   
Kel’s face almost lit up at Link’s presence, and he lunged forward, but Link was quicker parrying his blow and then pushing him backwards. 

Ilal had appeared suddenly, and she stabbed Kel from behind as Link pushed him, holding Kel’s shoulder tightly pushing the blade further in so it emerged from his chest and then she twisted it so vigorously Zelda was sure she could hear a rib crack. 

She would have thought that Ilal would have some sort of facial expression when she did this – but there was nothing. Just a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. 

Kel would have screamed – but his lungs had been pierced by Ilal’s blade, and a gurgling sound was the only thing that could be heard from him before he collapsed. 

Both Link and Ilal looked at Kel sprawled out on the ground, blood surrounding him. Almost as if they were uncertain if he was dead or not given Link was still keeping his sword close to Kel's neck - just in case. 

But to Zelda’s and Ilal’s great surprise, he dissolved into black smoke - much like the minions of Ganon did. 

So many questions now came into her mind – why had this happened? Why had they killed Kel? And why did he dissolve like that?   
She should have been worried about all of this – but when Link turned none of this mattered. He was here. 

With two strides Link was by her side, dropping his sword and embracing her tightly – one arm wrapped around her waist and the other cupping the back of her head. It wasn’t until Zelda inhaled his scent that she really realised he was here in her arms. It wasn’t a dream.


	22. I am not a charge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda gets annoyed with Link and Ilal talking about her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for your kind words
> 
> I literally flag all of the comments so I can look at them all when I am feeling down!
> 
> Have already been working on the next chapter - it is so fluffy. If you put a tail on it you could call it a bunny.

Zelda was finally in his arms, and he held her just a little bit tighter. His concern was initially that it wasn’t her – but he could smell her now. Those wonderful fresh flowers and the hint of honey. He just knew.  
But even through that relief of her being here – he couldn’t help but feel anger brewing inside of him. 

Why on was she even here? For Din-sake – she should have been protected in Gerudo town.  
The instructions he had given to Riju and Bulliara were clear – to keep her in the domain if anything occurred. Even if what had happened was not what anyone had expected. Maybe he should have been more specific in what he said. 

Finally, he released her and looked her up and down, holding her upper arms tightly.  
The dark, rancid blood spread over her top could have only come from one thing, and Link took a deep breath in to calm himself. 

How did she have put herself in that situation? And why did Ilal let her do that? 

“Why did you leave the town” he glowered at her and then cast his eyes over to Ilal who looked entirely indifferent and was wiping her blade on the grass- not even looking at Link.  
Zelda remained entirely silent – likely aware of Link’s increasing irritation. 

“we thought you were in danger. So we did what Lady Hyrule proposed.” Link glanced up towards Ilal, who finally broke the silence.  
“She is annoyingly persistent.” 

Why would anybody think he would be in danger? Riju was aware of what would happen - that he would return as soon as he could. But clearly, the concerns about the shrines and Zelda’s stubbornness had persuaded all of them that she needed to leave. 

“Link, you’re hurting me” Zelda pulled away from Link’s grip sounding irritated, and Link immediately pulled his hands to one side. He wanted to apologise – but right now, he couldn’t. His anger stopped him.

His glance fell back on Ilal, ignoring Zelda for a moment to try and calm himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt angry with Zelda. He probably never had. 

“Thank you, Ilal. For keeping her safe.” 

_Which you wouldn’t have needed to if she had stayed in the town._

He didn’t utter that particular thought. 

“It was my duty. Lady Hyrule was my charge, and I am more than happy to pass her over to you. As I said, she is annoyingly persistent.” Ilal went to grab a Bokoblin horn which was left from the fighting – it was very apparent that she was purposefully not looking at him. 

Most likely she was annoyed that Link had to come and help her defeat Kel. It was unheard of for a Vai to be helped by a Voe and she would not want this being recounted to anyone. 

Link trailed his hands through his hair in complete frustration - not sure where to direct his anger. Ilal, Zelda, Riju or indeed Bulliara. However, he felt that directing anger at Bulliara would potentially be the last thing he would do. 

“I am not a ‘charge’!” Link turned around immediately as Zelda shouted and stared at her. She looked furious and had her hands gripped into fists by her side.  
“I am a person and not something that you can just hand over to each other. I can go wherever I want on my own.”  
Link would have said something to that but thought better of it, holding his tongue. 

Ilal just laughed through her nose “Hardly. You would not even last a day.”  
Link peered at Ilal – not even a facial muscle twitched, despite Zelda’s outburst. 

For him, the predicament was obvious. Tell Zelda, of course, she could do things on her own. Or truthfully tell her that Ilal was right and she would not last long out in the wilderness. She was far better with people and politics. Something Link had never gotten the hang of. 

The memory from the Tena Ko’ sah shrine at the ruined columns came back to him – and he could now recall the resentment she had towards him. Now he remembered it, he could quite easily see why she had those feelings. All she wanted to do was be left alone and to do things in her way – not that that had always worked. The incident with the Yiga was a testament to that. 

Link tried his very best to stay relaxed – he was close to an outburst as well. That would unquestionably have made them both look like children. Even though they were technically still teenagers presented with a fate that was far beyond them.

His anger simmered below the surface, but he kept a calm outer façade taking a deep breath in before turning back to Ilal. He had fished a letter out of one of the bags on his belt and passed it to her.  
“The situation is complicated.” he gestured to the letter “Impa describes it a lot better than I ever could.”

Ilal raised her eyebrows – looking at the letter as if it was sandseal manure.  
“I would have thought you will be returning to the Domain?” Ilal’s face showed complete contempt. It was very apparent that she wanted to continue travelling with them and that returning to the town was the last thing on her mind. 

“Please, just give it to Lady Riju. She will need to know what’s happening.”  
There was a moment of silence before Ilal walked up and snatched the letter from Link, glowering at him. 

She stuffed the letter into the small satchel she had on her belt and then focused on something behind Link. “I don’t think you will be able to explain anymore. Your Princess is already departing.”  
Link’s head snapped around, and he saw Zelda mounting Artax before galloping away. 

It was evident that Zelda was not interested in having any more conversations with Ilal or Link. 

“There is a horse nearby, take it.” Link grabbed his sword off the floor, placing it back into the scabbard and then started to whistle to Epona who quickly came running. There would have been a lot of things he would have wanted to say to Ilal about letting her leave the town. Some of them would not have been polite. But apparently, that was not going to happen, and he doubted she would be there when he came back. 

He hoped that Ilal would return to the domain and give that note to Riju. He knew she could take care of herself – especially now that Kel was dead. 

But Zelda was a different matter. No matter how ‘annoyingly persistent’ she was – she needed protection. Even if she didn’t want it. 

\--

Her shock was evident when Link went to grab Artax’s reigns in full gallop from the side, and he then pulled her backwards, causing Artax to rear and Epona to skid to a halt. Zelda was furious, and she looked at Link whose face showed no reaction. Instead, he just let the reigns go, pushing them back over to Zelda.

“You shouldn’t just take off like that.” The stare that Link gave her when he spoke made her even angrier. She took a deep breath in and clenched her jaw.  
“And why not? I should be able to do what I want?!” 

“Because I am not losing you again!” Link shouted - something he never did. Whether it be before the shrine or after. Her angry thoughts were stopped in their tracks, and she was quiet. 

Link averted his gaze with a deep, frustrated sigh.  
“We should find somewhere to camp. It’s getting cold.”  
Zelda was still angry. Link was as well. But it was getting cold – the icy chill of night was beginning to give Zelda goosebumps, and so she relented. 

Link was riding slowly towards the skull-shaped cave from which the Bokoblins had emerged. How she could not have seen it before was bewildering to her. 

They prepared the camp in silence – even when Zelda went to help Link setting it up, he didn’t stop her as he usually would. Although he did adjust some of the things that were not quite to his liking.  
Zelda could feel her anger starting to subside. It had of course been foolish to leave Gerudo Town. If Link had not arrived when he did… she didn’t want to think about it.

“We haven’t got much to eat at the moment. Ilal took my satchel. I can only find some stale bread and dried meat.” Links tone remained icy, and she felt as if they were back where they had been only a few weeks ago.

Link pulled the meat and bread out of the bag and placed it on Zelda’s lap, still not looking at her. Her back was leaned up against the wall of the stone cave, seated on the floor and her legs drawn up towards her. 

“Are you going to talk to me then?” she knew they were not going to be able to avoid it forever.  
“About what?” of course, that would be his response. It was foolish to think it wouldn’t be. At least this time he responded. 

Link’s focus was on making the fire before it got completely dark. A piece of flint had been fished out of his pocket, and he was kneeling next to the kindling – striking it aggressively to cause a spark to ignite the flames. The aggression seemed to be to try and relieve his frustration with what was going on. 

“you know about what…” Zelda was trying very hard to keep her tone civil. They both knew this was about them at the moment – and not about what had happened in the Kingdom.  
Link gave out a sigh.  
She remembered those sighs. Again, she was not sure if it showed disappointment, regret or frustration. Her suspicion was the last of those three. 

Finally, the spark took, and Link blew into the flame which was starting to develop. Then he relaxed back, placing the flint back into his satchel. One of his arms was rested over his knee, the other hand was on his leg. He waited sometime before he spoke. 

“I don’t know what I need to say. I’ve already told you” Link stood now, not even glancing at her, and went to deconstruct the wooden platform from the small lookout post the Bokoblins built. 

“what do you mean you already told me?” her puzzled tone seemed to cause Link even more annoyance as he tightened his lips, still not looking at her.  
“Link?”  
“I need to get out.” Link placed the wood on the floor, adjacent to the fire. “Just stay here. I’ll just be outside.” 

Link grabbed his sword before Zelda could even say anything and left her alone in the cave. Suddenly she realised how tightly she had been holding that bag with the food in it and she released her grip, placing it onto the ground. 

Now all she had was the fire which was starting to grow and was now igniting some of the new logs – blackening the wood, causing them to turn into crumbling embers.  
It was a given that she should have been worried about the Kingdom and not Link. She felt selfish worrying about their relationship when, for all she knew, Hyrule was standing on the edge of war. Not unlike before the calamity. 

The time spent on her own was only reflected in the fire – the burning wood was now reduced to glowing ashes, and she would need to place a new log onto the embers as it was starting to get cold. 

As she was about to stand Link walked in, immediately looking to the fire and tossing some firewood onto the flames which grew quickly again. For the moment, he wasn’t paying any regard to Zelda as he pulled his harness off – placing the sword gently on the floor.  
Then he slowly sat next to her brushing against her leg. She had been watching him intently and peered over to him, waiting for him to say something. 

There were a few tense moments of silence before Link pulled out a small, blue flower which he presented to her – finally looking into her eyes.  
“I’m not very good at saying sorry.” His tone was much softer now, but there was still something about it that made her feel he was still angry. Despite this, she took the flower and held it gently in her hand. 

Her gaze was now fixed on the blossom as she was twirling it around in her fingers. The warmth from the fire was growing, and it was in stark contrast to the cold wall behind them. She shifted slightly to try and make herself more comfortable. 

After a good while, Link sighed deeply and then went to stand up as Zelda had not said anything. But she then grabbed his wrist “No, don’t.” Link looked down to her in surprise – clearly not anticipating a response from her. Zelda tugged his wrist a little, and he sat down again, now watching her, waiting for her to say something more. 

A million things were going through her mind, but she stopped at one – to her the most important thing she could think of.  
“I love you, Link. I’m sorry I left. I did it because I was worried about you. Just as much as you were worried about me” Link wanted to speak, but Zelda placed a finger on his lips to silence him “I know if you hadn’t come – it would have been different. And I am grateful that you came at just the right time. I really am. But please – I am a person. We are equals. Remember?” 

Silence again. Zelda hesitantly removed her finger from his lips – they were so warm and soft, and she tried to resist leaning in and kissing him. However, it would seem that Link did not have that resistance and he pulled her towards him tenderly placing his lips against hers. 

The conflict between them seemed to be released with that kiss – but instead, Zelda could feel a warmth building in her stomach, and her heart started to race.  
Link clearly felt the same way and with reluctance pulled himself away from her to go and put more wood on the campfire. 

“What was… what was Kel?” Zelda pulled her legs up towards her, putting her arms around them to try and warm herself. As Link moved away, she felt the coldness envelope her again. 

“He was a reflection” Link spoke as if this was the most natural thing in the world. Clearly, it was not, and Zelda looked puzzled trying to work out what he meant.  
“I don’t understand. A reflection of what?”  
“A reflection of himself. But it wasn’t him. Kel was killed long before he came to give us that message.”  
This did not make things any clearer to Zelda, and she furrowed her brow.

“That makes no sense at all.”  
“It didn’t seem to me until I spoke to Impa and she explained it to me. Or tried to explain it. That’s why I gave Ilal the letter for Riju as she is a lot better at this… if she ever takes it to her…” he muttered the last bit, kneeling next to the fire placing on a final piece of wood. 

“Can we start from the beginning?” All of those thoughts were becoming confused and disorganised, and clearly, Link needed to be slightly more descriptive about what was being said. Not that that had ever been his strong point. 

Link gave out a deep sigh and then sat down next to Zelda again, this time holding her hand which surprised her, but she clasped it tightly as he did so. 

“When I got to Kakariko village, there was an attack. Not just from monsters. But from something I didn’t understand. Or really, I still don’t understand.”  
it was evident that Link was trying hard to collect his thoughts and getting it all right in his mind. 

“I was injured and-“  
“You were injured? Where?” Zelda perked up, looking him over and Link placed his hand gently on her chest  
“We’ll get to that later.”  
It was apparent that that was not what Zelda wanted – but she did need to get the whole story.

“Impa told me that what I fought reflected myself. But not from now – from before. When I was not myself – but another incarnation of the hero.”  
Zelda had a lot to say about this but held her tongue. She would be able to speak when he was finished. 

“Kel was one of those reflections. We suspect that there is a mirror in the castle. Well, was a mirror in the castle…”  
“We looked. There wasn’t anything there.” Zelda felt more and more complexity coming into Link’s story, and it was cluttering her brain. 

“Impa thinks it was secret. And even if there were something there, it would have gone.” Link was trying to address all of Zelda’s questions that he likely had himself with Impa.  
There was a moment of silence as Zelda tried to process the intricacy of it all – but she was struggling. Tiredness would likely have been one of the contributing factors. 

“I will take you back to Impa. She will explain it a lot better than I do. All of it. And neither of us are sure if this caused the shrines to fail. Although it seems unlikely that it was anything else.” Link sighed again. “I thought we were done with all of this…” he squeezed her hand slightly tighter. 

“It would appear not…” Zelda placed her head onto Link’s shoulder. “How far is it to Kakariko?” She had accepted that Link would not say any more about what was happening.  
“two days. If we are fast.” Gently he moved his hand from hers and ran over her arm, brushing it gently for no reason that Zelda could think of. But she liked it. 

“Where are you injured?” there was now a deep desire to try and distract herself as he was touching her like that. This was not appropriate – certainly not in this situation. In a bedroom in Gerudo, it was only just suitable – although it would seem they had been overheard anyway. 

“My shoulder. But it’s fine. Paya saw to it.” Another girl who was interested in Link – she was getting somewhat annoyed with it now. She recognised from being with him for even the last few months many girls desired to be with him. 

The last time was when they were at one of the stables. Two, rather pretty looking girls, were speaking about him by the fire.  
The jealousy she had seemed to be pretty apparent now as she thought about it. They were talking about that young, blonde haired man and they were pointing at Link as he tended to the horses. 

“I love you. Don’t worry.”  
It would seem that Link knew what she was thinking.  
Zelda waited and then sat up, brushing a piece of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. She watched him closely as she went to place her legs either side of him, straddling him. As Link didn’t resist in any way, she moved her hands up to cup his face, gently brushing over his jaw before tipping his head upwards towards her. 

Link swallowed as Zelda leaned in to kiss him softly, closing her eyes. To her surprise, Link responded, moving his hands over her lower back.  
Despite all of his strength, she was still surprised at how gentle he was – almost as if he was worried about breaking her.  
But when she thought about the last time they had been together in that way, a warmth settled into her stomach. He had certainly not been so gentle with her then. 

Link pulled away suddenly and held her at arms-length “Not here.” Of course, Zelda felt the same way – but it was incredibly difficult  
“I know…” Zelda murmured but instead of pulling away from him, she leaned into him once more, softly placing her lips onto his. Link was trying to hold her at arms-length but was not doing a good job at it, and his resistance just continued to fade. Zelda could feel him slowly start to push his tongue into her mouth, and she welcomed it, opening her mouth to let him explore her. 

To her surprise, she then felt Link push her top upwards very slightly so he could feel her skin causing Link to sigh deeply into the kiss as he pulled her closer.  
Zelda started to tremble as she felt his cold, callous hands against her skin and when she did, it was almost as if Link realised that they couldn’t continue with this. 

“Not here. Not now.” What Link was saying was very different from the look he was giving her. And his hand was still placed on her lower back, touching her skin. 

Really, they were just teenagers who had just discovered the pleasure of being with each other that way. And it was hard to try and pry that out of the circumstances they were faced with. Neither of them wanted to stop, but they needed to. Zelda was telling herself that repeatedly – especially as Link had moved his hand completely under her top, resting it on the curve of her spine. 

Link gently brushed against her nose and placed another gentle kiss onto her lips “They’ll be other times.”  
Zelda couldn’t help but smile “Then you need to stop” she placed her hand just under his ear, slowly moving against him. Link took a deep breath in and then kissed her forehead, before slowly moving her away, pulling his hand out from under her top. 

He was probably right – them sitting together like that was not going to help, and she was grateful he had taken the initiative – even if that is not what she wanted. 

“go to bed” Link cleared his throat and went to grab his sword. Zelda looked perplexed “Where are you going?” she cocked her head, still sitting on the floor. 

“I just… I need some cold air.” Link seemed to be slightly flustered, and she was pleased she could do that to him.  
But there was a realisation that they were in this dingy cave and they certainly shouldn’t have gotten so close to what they had wanted to do. Assuming Link felt the same way – but briefly glancing to his waistband, she knew he had.

As he stepped out, Zelda needed to try and compose herself as well – she could feel the blush over her face and chest, and her heart was racing. 

The fire was still blazing, and she stared at it – it was so hypnotic – the flames licking and spitting. She started to think about what Link had told her – about the reflections. The whole thing sounded absurd, and she certainly wanted to speak to Impa. Maybe he had heard it all wrong. But then as she remembered Kel’s eyes and she knew in her heart what he said was right. 

The longer she stared at the fire, without even blinking her eyes, she realised how exhausted she was. Her eyelids were heavy with sleep now that Link had left, and she stretched. 

She hadn’t slept well the night before – or even the night before that. But now Link was back in her presence she knew she would. Although she had wanted to stay awake until Link returned, she couldn’t, and she went to settle herself into her bed, closing her eyes.  
She laid on her side, took a deep breath in, and as she exhaled, she was asleep.


	23. Being no-one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally get to just be together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I actually had to go into the game and actually work out where they were going to go and how - haha 
> 
> And I did say you could put a tail on this thing and call it a fluffy bunny!! 
> 
> I had to rewrite this twice, hence the slight delay in getting this out. I wanted to split it into two - but it wasn't really enough words. And actually I wanted to get the uber-fluffiness into one chapter. 
> 
> My next cycle of chemo starts tomorrow! Wish me luck!! :D 
> 
> xxx

They had just crossed the DiggDogg bridge, and it was already early afternoon. Link had let Zelda sleep for as long as she wanted too – which was nearly midday, much to Zelda’s surprise.  
Throughout the morning, they had had some awkward interactions – where Zelda was trying to behave as if they were in a relationship, but Link was still falling back into his role as her protector. 

Even now he remained entirely silent riding just behind her. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him after what he told her last night – but she thought it better not to. Not given the awkward exchanges they had during the morning. 

Instead, she started to think more about what had happened yesterday afternoon. Even before Link had told her what was happening. In the heat of the moment – she had not yet realised that her powers had not worked. The characteristic pain in her hand when the Bokoblins approached was not there. There was nothing. 

In her mind, she thought it was because of the adrenaline pulsing through her when she went to use the bow in a battle for the first time. But that would never have stopped that pain – nothing could. 

And for that matter – why had Kel not provoked that reaction. And how could Link not see the blackness of Kel’s eyes – that made absolutely no sense. Maybe it was because it was dark.  
When he was there that evening she was not focussing on his eyes at all - only on the letter in his hand. 

She wondered if they had thought that Link would come to the Kakariko – or did they think it would be Zelda? Either way, they seemed to have made their point.  
Perhaps ‘they’ were now following them and she looked back to the canyons of Gerudo valley – but clearly saw nothing. 

However, Link had noticed her turning, and he frowned before looking back to the canyons. Then he faced her again to look at her with a puzzled expression. He didn’t need to say anything as Zelda could see the ‘what’ appearance in his face. 

“Nothing. I was just wondering if they would be following us.”  
Link’s expression did not change. Instead, he tilted his head.  
“They?”  
“Well. Whatever it is. Or that is.” Zelda muttered, and Link looked backwards again, pausing and then looked to her.  
“We would know.” He spoke with confidence. 

Artax had now stopped, and Link rode up to be beside her. “What’s the problem, your Highness” he pulled on Epona’s reigns causing her to halt as well.  
Zelda rolled her eyes and then laughed a little “Stop calling me that” 

Link shrugged “I think it’s probably better I do. Unless we are alone.”  
“But we are alone.” Zelda retorted, and Link frowned  
“You know what I mean. So, what’s the matter?” 

She gripped Artax’s reigns slightly tighter and took a deep breath in before speaking. 

“Why do you think my powers didn’t work?”  
They both paused now – Link appeared surprised by the question, however, did have an answer to it.  
“I wasn’t with you.” He was looking straight ahead but darted his eyes over to her almost embarrassed about what he had said. 

But he didn’t need to be. Zelda had the same thoughts.  
“Then why… why did nothing happen with Kel?”  
Now there was silence again, and Link looked as if he was trying to find a reason – but he couldn’t. 

“Did you not see his eyes?” Zelda suggested this and Link frowned then turning to her  
“What do you mean?”  
She was taken aback for a moment when he said that “well… His eyes. They were black.”  
Link sat there glaring at her, and finally, he shook his head  
“They were dark red. That’s why I knew it was him” 

Now she thought maybe she had mistaken his eyes as being black. Perhaps it was that dark red. But when she remembered it again from yesterday they weren’t just black – it was a deep black which covered the entire sclera. That she would not mistake. 

However, she didn’t want to worry him. Maybe it was nothing.  
“Don’t worry. You’re right. Maybe the eyes were just a dark red.”  
Instead of delving any more into it, Zelda smiled “Where are we going to stay tonight?” 

Link squinted a little, still staring at her, but then let it go.  
“We can stay at the Outskirt stable, your Highness. I would rather not stay in a camp again.” 

Zelda’s heart plummeted. The Outskirt stable.  
They knew them there already – Zelda had introduced herself with her full name and had told everyone there who they were. Some of them clearly thought she was mad – but others had already recognised Link as the Legendary Hero – the one who was wielding the sword that Sealed the Darkness. So, therefore, it seemed reasonable that she was the Princess. 

Now, after all of this, she realised she just wanted to lay low. Not be recognised. Not be disturbed or interrupted by anyone. She just wanted to be them for a while – and if Link was not wanting to stay in a camp, she knew she did not want to stay at the Outskirt stable. 

“Can we not stay somewhere else? There must be another stable somewhere.”  
Link raised his eyebrows – looking at her with puzzlement. 

“Well. If ‘they’ know we will be going back to Kakariko – as I am sure they would – then we should stay somewhere they would not be expecting us.” Zelda was starting to feel more confident in what she was saying – especially as Link’s facial expression showed that he seemed to agree. 

“Well…” Link paused for a moment “There is another stable. But we would most likely not be there until evening.”  
He looked to her “, and it is out of our way.” 

“Well – isn’t that good?” she sounded hopeful – please, just not to the outskirt stable.  
Link glanced once more in the direction of the outskirt stable and then sighed  
“Very well, your Highness. But it’s a long ride.” 

\--

Zelda was going over what she had rehearsed in her mind. Her name was Arei. Link was going to be called Jolah.  
She was born in Hateno village and Link – no, Jolah – was born… Where was he born? And was Jolah meant to be born in Hateno?  
For Din-sake, she needed to get this right. 

It would not be far until they finally reached the Riverside Stable. They had gone north along the river, and Zelda could already saw the flickering torchlight in the distance.  
The sky was clouded over, and once it became dark, they would not even have the stars to light their way. 

“Your Highness, are you sure you want to do this?” Link peered over to her, but Zelda knew that is absolutely what she wanted to do.  
They had already prepared their names – even if she now wasn’t really sure where they came from as she was always getting confused. 

Zelda had already pulled her hair up into a tight braid, securing it on her head with a few hair-grips she had in her saddlebag. Link had placed his Mastersword into a large bag which he was slung over his shoulder. 

It was plainly apparent that Link would not be recognised immediately – but his sword would. And if he didn’t have the sword, then she would not be known as the Princess. So she hoped. 

“Yes, I’m quite sure” no, she really wasn’t – she couldn’t even get the stories straight in her mind now. But they had names. That would do. 

As the darkness started to press in on them, they finally had reached the stable. The torchlight was dancing in the strong winds – occasionally looking as if it might extinguish but just as it was going to, the wind would stop, and it would come to its full blaze again.  
She was sure a storm would be coming soon. 

When she was last here, before the Calamity, there had been nothing. Most of the horses were kept in the towns – but clearly, since the Calamity, they had needed the stables. As they had come closer, Zelda could see how run-down it looked. It was clearly loved by the owners – but it was still challenging to keep the wooden posts upright when they were so close to the river. When the river flooded with heavy rain, it would cause the water to rise up into the wood and rot the timber.  
One of the posts was being held up precariously by some wooden boxes. 

“come on” Link had already dismounted Epona and walked over to her, holding his hands outwards to help her down.  
Zelda blushed when he did that – this was very unlike him. Or more, unlike what he would have done only a few weeks ago. 

Link hesitated and went to move his hands downwards, seemingly worried that he had done something wrong as Zelda was taking some time to process her disbelief.  
Once she came back to the present, she quickly went to dismount Artax, letting Link place his hands onto her waist to help her down. 

Now they found themselves quite close, and Zelda gave Link a smile. It was dark where they were, and so she decided she could risk it. She placed her hand onto his chest and then leant in, pressing a gentle kiss onto his lips.  
Even though she thought Link would pull away immediately, she found herself surprised when Link placed his hands around her waist, pulling her in closer, deepening the kiss a little further. 

Maybe he was worried this would be the last kiss, in case anyone did know them here.  
Link came away first and placed his forehead to hers “if you get us beds, I’ll see to the horses.”  
It was so apparent that he wanted to place the customary ‘your highness’ on top of that statement – she could see his mouth open and then close suddenly. 

Zelda smiled and kissed him briefly before removing her hand from his tunic.  
“Don’t be long” Zelda passed Artax’s reigns to him, and when he brushed her hand, she felt butterflies in her stomach. 

If they could just stay in this moment for a little while longer. They were caught between two realities at the moment – if they knew them, then they would be spending the entirety of the evening keeping their distance from each other.  
However, if they knew nothing about them – they could just be together. Even though neither Link nor Zelda had actually decided what the relationship between Jolah and Arei was. 

With reluctance Link pulled Artax’s reigns towards him, causing Zelda to release her grasp. However, he did move in and gave her a brief kiss on the cheek before pulling Artax over to the stables. 

The butterflies she had settled like a warm heat into her stomach when he kissed her like that. It was only brief, something entirely non-sexual. But it was so natural. It would be some time until they would be able to be with each other in that way. 

Soon the Kingdom would know who they were, and then all of this would need to be kept secret until the time was right. The Princess being with her Knight attendant would certainly evoke no respect – although it appeared the Gerudo knew. And also, Paya and Impa. They would need to be a bit more careful in the other domains. 

It took her a brief moment to calm herself and then she walked over to the stables.  
He was Jolah. She was Arei. They needed rooms – nothing to worry about. They would hardly be quizzing her about their history. 

As Zelda walked into the stable, she could smell the rotting timber – as she suspected. It had been overlaid with candles which were scented with disgustingly floral aromas to try and hide it. But all it did was intermingle with the rotten wood making the odour so much worse. 

“Have you come for a room?” the stable owner suddenly appeared at the counter and Zelda startled. As she turned, the stable owner raised an eyebrow “So? A room?” 

“Oh, yes” Zelda cleared her throat and walked up to the counter “for two, please.”  
“Very well. Your names?” The stable owner had pulled out a large book and a quill and dipped it into the ink, waiting for her to speak again.  
Oh, goddesses, they needed surnames. 

The owner peered up “you have names, do you not?”  
“Of course. I’m sorry. Um – Jolah Katol.”  
A second surname – she needed a second surname.  
“And Arei…”  
She was panicking now – another name, she needed another name.  
When the owner peered up from over his glasses, she gave up  
“Katol. My surname is also Katol. We’re married. It’s our honeymoon” obviously Zelda was now giving far too much information to this poor man. He did not need to know any of that. All he needed to know was their names were. 

“So, I suspect you’ll be wanting a double” the owner pulled another pad from under the large book and ran his finger along the beds he had. “The one on the right is yours.” He gestured to the double bed which had been laid out with a colourful bedspread. In all of her time since the shrine, this would be the first time she was going to stay in a stable – and in a bed with Link. 

“20 rupees. If you would like something to eat – then it will be 30.” The owner slammed his book shut now, placing the quill onto the leather cover it was bound with. 

“Oh. Of course. Um – we’d like something to eat as well, please” Zelda was now fumbling around for her wallet, but Link had come up behind her and placed the rupees on the table.  
“Ah. You must be the husband” the owner glanced only briefly at Link but then took the money, putting it into the pouch on his belt. 

Link’s eyes widened, and he glared at Zelda. It was a fair assumption that this was not what Link had wanted. 

“Don’t I know you?” the stable owner looked up and frowned when he studied Link’s face carefully.  
“This is my first time here. I doubt it” at the same time Link pulled the bag with the sword over his shoulder, and the gaze of the stable owner went to it and then squinted at Link once more.  
“Well. Welcome” immediately the stable owner lost interest “Food is outside. Please keep it quite when you get into bed.” The stable owner was scowling at them. 

Zelda knew immediately what he was thinking. She had told them they were on their honeymoon. Why, why did she always need to share so much unnecessary information.  
Link grabbed Zelda’s hand and gave a nod to the stable owner before pulling Zelda outside into the cold darkness. 

“Why did you tell them we are married?” he was whispering furiously, darting his eyes around, “I thought we were just going to be friends. You just wanted to be ‘no one’”  
Instead of answering, Zelda just moved forwards and placed her arms around his neck  
“So I can do this” she brushed against his lips waiting for a response.

Although initially surprised Link just sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him “That’s a terrible excuse…” Zelda could see the corners of his mouth twitching, and she knew he was fighting a smile. However, before that could happen, he kissed her – this time not as softly as Zelda was expecting and butterflies settled into her stomach. 

“Hey, get a room!” a man from the fire was laughing and joking with another man beside him – nudging him in the ribs and seemingly amused with their own witticism.  
Link released her but continued to hold her hand tight. Zelda could tell the men had been drinking – their words were slurring, and that empty bottle of alcohol to their feet was a testament to that. 

They had another bottle between them as well and kept on laughing for no reason what so ever. 

“Let’s go to bed” Link was glaring at the two men, but Zelda pulled him back over to the fire “you need food Link. I’ve paid for it. Just ignore them” the cold stare that Link had been giving the two men immediately changed when he looked at her. His gaze showed complete and utter adoration for her and Zelda couldn’t help but smile. 

“Once you’ve eaten, then we can go to bed” she placed her hand over his cheek and then Link sighed and kissed her palm. He said nothing more and started to pull her towards the campfire, holding her just behind him. She knew that it was to protect her, and she knew that he couldn’t help himself. 

“So, this is Boro” the man pointed to the other despite the fact the neither of them had asked their names “and my name. My name is Tongo the Terrible.”  
“More like Tongo the Tubby” Boro was laughing hysterically, and Tongo seemed to be quite upset by this. But Boro was right – Tongo did have a bit of a belly on him. 

It was difficult for Zelda to suppress a giggle – but she didn’t want to encourage either of them.  
Link, however, didn’t respond to them and instead went to serve himself something to eat, piling some stew onto a bowl he had found – giving one to Zelda and making himself another. 

When Zelda looked up after Link having given her the plate she was startled when both of the men were staring at her, their laughs were forgotten.  
“So, what are your names then?” Boro pointed at them.  
Zelda peered over to Link who had already finished half of his food and was clearly not interested in anything other than eating. 

“Hey, your names” Boro sounded slightly more irritated, and Zelda flinched. She could deal with the Gerudo being angry – but she felt that this man was a different sort of mad. Somebody who would easily be able to harm her.  
Although she was excited about being in the stable with Link – she was not expecting the patrons being quite so different. When she was a Princess, it would spear she was shielded from any gruff, rude and aggressive behaviour. 

Zelda heard Link drop his spoon and he stood up. Even though he wasn’t tall – not nearly as tall as the other man, his presence caused the two men to recoil.  
“Sorry, Sorry. Goddesses – we’ll just enjoy our drinking.” Boro rolled his eyes and then pushed Tongo from his seat to move away to sit somewhere else. 

Link observed them very carefully, and once he was sure they had left, he sat back down again, grabbing his spoon and continuing to eat. 

“Thank you, Link” she whispered, but Link didn’t look at her “I’m called Jolah. And just don’t indulge them. They will just make it difficult. I know what they are like.”  
“Oh,” Zelda looked surprised “Do you know them?”  
Link gave a humourless laugh through his nose “No. But they are all the same. I’ve dealt with many in the past. Eat your food, then we can go to bed.” 

\--

 

As they walked into the stables, the entirety of the other patrons were sleeping – only one person was adjacent to their bed. An old woman who had curled up into the sheets, sleeping serenely.  
Link was gently pulling her towards the bed, and as Zelda saw it, she felt her heart rate starting to accelerate.  
Of course, they had slept in a double bed in the Gerudo town – but this felt different. It was out in the open, anyone could see them. But no one knew who they were. She kept on needing to tell herself that as she gripped Link’s hand slightly tighter.  
There was a small glance from Link, and he could see her discomfort, so he moved closer to her, swept her hair over her shoulder and kissed the side of her neck.

Zelda gasped in surprise, and she felt a heat come up into her face and she was quite sure this was not a gentle rosiness, but more a deep, red tomato colour. A smile teased over Link’s lips, and he let her hand go, placing the sword just by the bed – in grabbing distance. 

Then it just got worse – Link went to pull his tunic over his head, at the same time nearly pulling the undertunic over simultaneously. Zelda held her breath for a moment as she saw his lower back, but then as it moved up further, she saw the wound on his back. The bandages were now crusted with brown and red, and Zelda could see they needed replacing. 

“Your wound” She came up behind him and once Link had pulled off his over tunic he tried to look back to his shoulder, examining the gash.  
“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt” Link muttered and sat down to pull off his boots.  
Zelda tightened her lips “Well, we at least need to change the bandages.” 

Link looked up at her and immediately relented. Zelda had a suspicion that her glowering look had caused him to give in.  
“There are some bandages in the bag… just be careful that you don’t.”  
“I know, I know” however it was difficult trying to hide the Mastersword as she was pulling out some of the bandages and padding which she was sure Paya had packed. 

“We don’t need to do this. It will be fine.”  
“No, it won’t” Zelda stood back up again and then prompted him to pull his undertunic over his head. This was going to be quite a task trying to not be distracted by him, and at the same time tending to the injury. 

But as Zelda started to pull the crusted bandages away, Link grimaced, and all of her attention was now drawn to the wound.  
“Haven’t you got something for pain…?” it was a natural question, but obviously Link just shook his head. 

And why would he – Zelda rolled her eyes. 

As she finally pulled away the last bit of padding, she saw the wound. The wound which was far, far worse than what Link had implied.  
“Link” she hissed, but he didn’t respond  
“Jolah.” He corrected her instead of saying anything else. 

Goddesses, he could make her angry sometimes. She remembered being on one of the mountain tops of the Goron domain, telling him about the difference of being courageous and reckless. Clearly, this was not something that had yet come back to him. Either that or he ignored her advice. 

They didn’t speak as Zelda went to fill a small bowl of water before coming back to him to gently wipe off the congealed blood from the wound. It was evident that Link was in pain – every now and again, he would shift slightly – but he refused to say anything.

Once finished, she placed a bandage over the top, placing the bowl of cold water onto the floor. “I’m done…” 

Link looked back to her and then pulled over his undertunic “Thank you.” 

Zelda was slightly disappointed he had dressed again. However, her regret was quickly ended when Link turned and pulled her into the bed, settling her in the pillows and leaning over her. 

He brushed against her nose and then kissed her ever so gently.  
Zelda’s heart raced as she placed her hand onto his chest, the other around his shoulders, and tried to pull him in further, but Link categorically refused, pulling himself back up again.  
“Sleep” he smirked and pulled himself up – wincing ever so slightly as he felt the wound. 

“Only if you lay with me.” Zelda sat herself up, hoping that he would concede. And to her surprise, he did, laying himself down on the bed next to her. It was almost with a suspicion that Zelda rested next to him – both of them now on their sides, close together, but still not touching each other. 

However, Link then moved to brush a piece of hair out of her face, and tucked it behind her ear, moving ever so slightly closer, intertwining his legs with hers “Come on. You’re tired. We need to get up early…” he grasped her upper back and pulled her into him, so she was laying against his chest. 

He was right. Zelda was tired. But she didn’t want this moment to end. Tomorrow all of this would be a dream, and she doubted there would be many places they would be able to go to be like this soon. 

“Zelda…” he whispered, making sure no one could hear “I want you to know… I did love you. From the moment I saw you.” He kissed her forehead, and Zelda’s heart skipped a beat. Why did he? How did he? 

“Now, go to sleep” even Link now had his eyes closed. She had wanted to say something to what he said – but rather, it seemed only right to say one thing.  
“I love you.”  
“I love you too…” to her great surprise Link seemed to now be sleeping. His breathing had changed to a gentle, rhythmic pattern, but he still had his hand placed just behind her waist. 

For a moment she just looked at him – they had come a long way together. Before the shrine and now after. And she was grateful for all of it. Slowly she leaned in to place a gentle kiss onto his warm lips and then rested her forehead against his. 

There would be time to worry about the mirrors and the reflections. But not tonight. Tonight, they were two people in love, regardless of what they were called. And no one could take that away from them.


	24. Fighting Blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link discovers that Zelda can see things that he can't and Zelda needs to come to terms with it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chemo is rough. as. shit. 
> 
> I thought it was bad last time :( 
> 
> At least this time I am taking my antiepileptics before the medication - so hopefully no admission to hospital for epilepsy!! 
> 
> I hadn't actually written anything until today (as I was feeling rotten) but have written this all today as I already had a good idea of what was going to happen in this chapter anyway  
> Also, have been laying in bed all day as I can barely stand... 
> 
>  
> 
> thank you for comments - I really appreciate them :) 
> 
> x
> 
> PS: at the end. Hobbits >_<

The movement was fast – but Link was faster. In the blink of a second, he had shoved Zelda with quite some force from the bed, causing her to fall off it. He rolled out from his side, grabbing his sword, which was balanced against the wall in the process. 

The blade which must have been meant from him was plunged with great strength into the bed where he was laying, piercing the mattress with feathers which were blown out by force – it was put there by a tiny lady who had been lying next to them all that time.  
Link looked entirely perplexed at all of this. First, how would this tiny woman be able to force a knife so far into the bed it pierced the wooden bed slats, and secondly – why would she even do it. 

For a while, he just stood there, sword in hand entirely unsure what to do. Then he could see another person wander into his vision – he kept a close eye on him but stayed focused on the old woman in front of him. 

“Link! They are not real!” Zelda had just about managed to scramble up from the floor, and immediately the man who had been steering towards Link took a turn and wandered to Zelda, slowly at first but then with long strides. 

Link looked to the woman who had been wielding the knife earlier and clenched his jaw.  
It was apparent whose life was more important, and he slid over the bed, pushing himself up with his hand – standing before Zelda in a defensive position.  
None of this made any sense – but protecting her was the only thing he knew how to do. 

“Link – you need to kill them! They are not real!” Zelda almost screamed at him, but Link just didn’t know what to think. They looked normal – everything about them appeared normal. 

“Zelda – I don’t-“ he was immediately cut off by the man who was now lunging for them with a travellers sword which Link had not seen. He barely needed to move to parry the blow causing the man’s sword to fall from his hand. But clearly, that didn’t stop him as the man lunged for them regardless. Link pushed Zelda backwards until she was up against the wall, with her screaming and shouting about something he didn’t comprehend fully.  
And although he very much wanted to understand – at the moment there were other priorities which occupied his mind. 

Even though he thought it would be easy to attack this man – he had no weapons. This had not happened before.  
The little old lady was still trying to extract the long blade from the bed with a strength that made Link think it would snap her frail arms before it came loose. 

The man leapt at them again, and Link turned, grabbing the man from behind and standing there with him clawing at his arm, trying to release himself.  
“Link!” Zelda shouted, and when Link turned, he saw her there with a bow and arrow in her hands – aiming the shot at the man he was holding. 

What was she doing? She couldn’t kill a man here – regardless of if he attacked them. But she was still aiming the shot, squinting, taking a deep breath out and then – 

The arrow had been fired, and Link stumbled backwards, releasing him from his grip.  
The man who had been attacking them screamed as the arrow plunged into his lungs and as Link was staring at him in disbelief, Zelda had shot another, piercing his heart.  
Now he needed to stop Zelda from pulling another arrow, and he turned, going to grab the bow from her. Princess or not, she couldn’t go out killing people. 

But the bow had been dropped, and Link could hear the thud of the man falling to the floor, and as he turned, he saw the black smoke dissolve before the man disappeared.  
It took him a while to process what had just happened. How it had just happened. How did Zelda know? 

“The woman!” Zelda went to grab another arrow, but her hands were shaking, and Link pushed her backwards.  
“Which woman?” Link was now guarding her against those in the room – currently uncertain who was enemy and who wasn’t. They all looked the same to him – and yet clearly, some were not.  
“The one with the knife!” Zelda’s voice sounded a little exasperated. It would clearly have been the woman whose’ knife was pointed in their direction. And yet Link didn’t want it to be. She was old and frail – her eyes were a hazel colour showing their age only through the wrinkled skin around them.  
This wasn’t right. How could this be right?

“Link!” Zelda screamed at the top of her Lungs, and Link sprang into action as the woman attacked them. It was clumsy – and she almost fell over. He didn’t want to – he couldn’t. His sword was braced just over his head in uncertainty, but Zelda had taken the initiative as Link’s reluctance meant the woman was almost able to stand again.

She pushed Link to one side, and as the woman turned, wanting to stab her, she had plunged a knife of her own into the woman’s heart.  
Link stood there stunned by what he had seen – but then again, the black smoke encased the woman and then dissolved with no body to show.  
Now Zelda had killed two people – but they weren’t people. They were something else. 

“Link, you need to trust me” she had clambered up, grabbing Link’s tunic as she did so “There is one more…” She was furiously whispering at him, trying to make him understand what she was seeing. He needed to trust her – much as he had wanted her to trust him. 

Link gripped his sword slightly firmer and then whispered back “Who?”  
Both looked now to the patrons and the stable owners who were entirely shocked at what they had just seen. They had killed two people.  
Ignoring them Link’s eyes flew over the faces and even he could see the person whose expression did not show shock. In fact, it showed something entirely different. 

“The man with the red tunic?” Link’s voice was low, and Zelda nodded.  
The man was standing at the back of the people staring at them  
“No more?” at least this time, it would not be an old woman. Or even a child. That particular thought was immediately dismissed as it seemed too awful to bear. 

“No, I can’t see any more” she released Link’s tunic, and he gestured her to stay where she was. As he walked up to the small crowd of people who were gawping at them all but as he stepped towards them, they all immediately scattered – giving Link a free path to where he was going. 

The man was standing just outside the stable, enshrouded by the fog which had descended into the valley. As Link stepped out, he noted the soft grass between his toes –forgetting he had not yet put any shoes on. The dew from the grass wet his feet and caused the coldness to spread through him. 

Link walked slightly closer and then stood, the man opposite had not moved even an inch, and slowly Link placed his feet onto the dusty ground, surrounding the firepit.  
They both were just staring at each other. How could this man be anything other than an average human? He didn’t want to doubt Zelda – when they had defeated Ganon, he never had. And yet, now? 

How many of these creatures would he have seen in the past without him knowing?  
The longer Link stood there, the more uneasy he became. He glanced back to Zelda, who was now standing at the edge of the stable, her bow was in her hands, and he knew that if he didn’t do what was needed – she would. 

But he couldn’t let her do that. She had seen enough death in her life already – he was the Legendary Hero, he had fought battles which he couldn’t even recall. He needed to do this.  
Link dug his toes into the ground and softened his knees, just as the man started to come towards him, screaming and shouting, swinging the rusty travellers’ sword in his hand. 

It seemed unfair to fight him – Kel was a worthy adversary, but this man clearly had no evidence of having ever fought any battles in the past. From glancing at him, he could see the soft skin which was grasped around the pommel of the sword.  
But this was not this man. This was not him – he was something else.  
The man who he was, was dead. He needed to do this. 

As the man lunged forward, Link jumped up and sideways, causing the man to stumble. It was a quick movement when Link turned and slashed upwards – the wound on the man’s back caused him to scream, and for a moment, he worried if he had killed the wrong person.  
But then he dissolved into black smoke. Link’s heart was racing. Not due to the effort – due to the anxiety that it had been the wrong person. 

Zelda was immediately in his arms, causing Link to drop his sword and widen his eyes. He was not expecting that – or any of what was happening.  
However, she couldn’t say anything. But then neither could he.  
Instead, they just held each other, Link’s hands were wrapped around her waist, and he never wanted to let go. 

“You can’t do this! We will have you arrested!” the stable owner had bustled his way to the front of the small congregation, and Zelda immediately released Link  
“You will not!” her voice was stern, and the stable owner recoiled – he was clearly not prepared for this sort of onslaught. She was the young girl who he had given the room too, and yet now she would easily be able to compete with a Goron in full rage. 

Link picked his Mastersword up, and he could see whispering happening amongst the others – a small child saw him and immediately hid behind his mother. He heard the name Link and the words ‘the Princess’ – clearly, their secret had now been blown quite spectacularly. 

“They were not people. They were reflections” Zelda was still not letting the stable owner get a word in. But Link was surprised to hear her call them reflections. Previously he believed that she didn’t accept the concept.  
“We need to leave to get to Kakariko village.” Zelda glanced backwards to Link who at current was still not sure what was happening. 

But he knew that he now had suspicion for everyone. Anyone of those people could be reflections. And it would seem only Zelda would know.  
“Link” her voice was clear, no faltering – just sheer determination on what was going to happen next.  
“The owner will get the horses – we leave now” even though Zelda’s tone remained the same he could see the worry in her eyes. But she would not show that now. Not until they were out of the stable. 

The sun was starting to pierce through the fog, and Link nodded, remaining silent – as he always used to. Really he didn’t want to kick up any more of a fuss – they both just needed to get out of there. 

\--

Once they were sure, they had put enough distance between the stables and themselves Zelda pulled Artax from a gallop to a trot and fell backwards to Link, who did the same with his horse. 

“Are you okay Link? You haven’t said anything since…?” she didn’t want to give it a name. Now that they had left the stables the adrenaline which had been pumping through her veins was replaced by trembling and a dry mouth. Goddesses she wanted something to drink – but neither of them wanted to stop. 

“I’m fine” Link’s voice was cold, and she was sure he would need some time to come to terms with what had happened.  
But Zelda had seen it – the black in those peoples’ eyes. Deep pits of that despair – no different to Kel – when they opened their mouths, she could see more blackness. They were not human, so she had no hesitation killing those two people. 

However, Link’s uneasiness persisted. How could she let him know that the man was not human? She was the only one who could see it – she wondered if anyone else could?  
“It was not him anymore, Link. It wasn’t. Whoever that man was he-“ 

As she looked at him, she could see Link tighten his lips, frowning slightly.  
“It wasn’t him anymore. You saw that. I saw it. I would never have been able to kill… that old lady…” her voice drifted off, and suddenly Link looked at her – worry in his eyes. He pulled Epona to a stop and grabbed Artax’s reigns doing the same with him. 

Link dismounted and came over to Zelda putting his arms up, gently gripping one side of her waist to pull her down. Although she wanted to just keep going, she couldn’t. She needed him right now, and so she sat backwards letting Link pull her off the horse.  
For no reason, she could identify she started to cry once she was in Link’s arms– but it was more than crying. It was the desolate sobbing of a person robbed of all hope, and she felt her knees buckling, but Link was able to hold her up. 

The tears burned in her eyes, and as they trickled down, she felt she wanted to just scream – to scream until the air left her lungs and she would need to stop to fill her lungs with fresh air again to continue. It felt like it had done in the spring of power – the despair.  
They had gone through all of this together – everything that had happened to them bound them for life. 

And yet now it just continued – all they wanted was to build the Kingdom of Hyrule together again. However, the more they seemed to learn about each other- the more everything seemed to be pulling them apart.  
She couldn’t lose him again – she would fight forever to keep him with her. And as Link held her tighter, she knew he would do the same. 

Both Epona and Artax seemed to be showing some sort of uneasiness, and Epona nudged Link’s shoulder which caused Zelda to smile – likely a distorted smile but a smile none the less. 

Link had to move his hand to Epona to pat her shoulder to let her know everything was okay. Zelda sniffed and wiped her eyes, watching Epona who still seemed slightly anxious.  
“Your bond with horses is amazing…” she placed her head onto Link’s shoulder, watching Epona “Your horse from before… you had the same connection. You had to give me advice on how to treat them…” 

Now she managed to smile, in earnest. Link kissed her hairline and sighed deeply “What you did, was right, Zelda. I need to trust you.” Link grabbed her slightly tighter “For those brief moments, I didn’t. I apologise for that.” 

Maybe that was what had been bothering Zelda so much – perhaps it was the fact that he had doubted her. But who could blame him – he was fighting something he couldn’t see. This time their trust would be blind – Zelda would be the only person who would be able to guide him. But then was it that different from what had happened when they defeated Ganon?

“That’s okay.” She hadn’t moved her head as she trailed her hand up and down his spine. They stayed silent for a while until Artax whinnied causing Zelda to startle and come away from Link. 

“We’ll be at the outpost soon…” Link looked over to the where the ruins were with some trepidation. Zelda felt similarly. She knew the last time they had travelled through there had been only a few Bokoblins – stragglers from the rest of the army of Ganon. And yet now she suspected it would be slightly different. 

“How many did you see…?” really, she didn’t want to know. Either way, they would have to fight. But he had done it before – without her being there. Even though she was not sure that her being there would be an advantage or not. 

“Ten. At least. Including a Whizzrobe”  
Zelda’s heart beat faster when Link said that. She could not remember seeing one – certainly not since the Calamity.  
“What kind?” Zelda didn’t mean for her voice to sound quite so inquisitive and Link peered over to her raising one of his eyebrows.  
“I don’t know. But whatever it is, you stay well away from it, your Highness.” Zelda must have been frowning as Link added on a “Please.” 

“Can I help?” it seemed most straightforward to ask the direct question – much as Link always used to. It would seem it got an honest answer. Or at least something in tune to it.  
Opening his mouth and closing it again, Link seemed to be lost in thought. Surely, he must know that she could help. 

Instead, Link looked upwards. Even though it didn’t feel that way – they had travelled far enough for it to be mid-morning.  
“We’ll have something to eat, and make a plan.” Link had grabbed Epona’s reigns, and although he hesitated for a brief moment, he moved over and kissed Zelda’s forehead.  
She couldn’t help but laugh a little – anything to keep the mood up. She had enough of everything being so desolate.  
“You had breakfast already…”  
“Second breakfast then” Zelda could see Link trying to hide a smirk, and it gave her a warm feeling in her heart. 

Despite everything that was going on – at least they still had some sort of humour between them.  
But the naturalness of them being together in the way they were last night – that would be a luxury they would need to forget for quite some time. 

And for it to ever happen, they needed to get through this. And they would. They had to.


	25. Kakariko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving in Kakriko village

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all
> 
> So, I have just realised my fiction is basically as long as the first Harry Potter book. Seriously. WTF.  
> Also - I think I need to start a new series? I didn't even realise I had made it into a series - but actually thats not a bad thing.  
> If not - meh. 
> 
> Also: I really need to just say 'stuff happened' but I am seriously bad at it.  
> And Koko and Cottla are cute :) 
> 
> and more importantly:  
> A NEW BOTW SEQUEL!!! AAAAH! 
> 
> But this will still not stop me writing :)  
> Maybe I may have finished this fiction by the time this bloody sequel comes out haha
> 
> So glad this chemo is now over. Feeling slightly better now :) another 4 weeks for the next session. 
> 
> thanks for the comments - I love you guys so much :) 
> 
> xxx
> 
> Oh - and PS :) my brain tumour is actually in my speech centre (which is why I thought it would be good for me to write fiction) - and i can say very obviously that my speech has significantly improved!! My oncologist has noted it specifically :) so wether it is the tumour shrinking or my writing I am so so glad that this has not just helped me - but actually physically made so many of my symptoms better!! 
> 
> This is the best outlet ever

Zelda thought that the Plan Link and her were going to make was going to have a lot more input from herself. Or in fact any input from herself.  
But Link already knew what he needed to do and despite Zelda’s persistent arguing he wasn’t going to be negotiated with. It was one of those few situations where Link was able to pull rank on her – regardless of her royal status. It was his job to protect her, and in return, he never interfered with trying to rebuild the Kingdom. Not that he would ever know what to do anyway. 

They had plotted a route to the Proxim Bridge – the shortest they could while avoiding most of the enemies. Link had still been concerned about the fact he could not see the Whizzrobe – and so he had brought most of his elemental arrows. 

“You don’t stop until we get past Proxim bridge. Even if I fall behind – you keep going.” Link was trying to calm Epona – she was whining at the prospect of storming into the patrols of Moblins and Bokoblins below. This was not out of fear from the monsters – this was pure excitement from Epona.  
Link had his bow held in one hand, the others pulling Epona’s reigns tightly trying his best to calm her. 

Zelda took a deep breath in – she could do this. She could just about see the Proxim bridge in the distance looked over by the tattered Parade flags.  
Between the bridge and them were however many creatures, Moblins, Bokoblins – but still no Whizzrobe. 

“Ready?” Link pulled an arrow out of his quiver, still trying to tame Epona. If it hadn’t been for the situation they were faced with Zelda would have said something – his mare was usually so patient and calm. 

“Ready” Zelda waited for what was only a few seconds until Link thundered on ahead – he had not even had to kick his heels together to get Epona to move. Artax followed Epona swiftly, staying on her heels at all times. 

Almost immediately the Bokoblins saw them – screeching and grabbing their weapons to storm towards them. Link picked two of the Bokoblins off with his arrows giving Zelda a path to move through them. 

The entire time Link was still looking out for that Whizzrobe which had now suddenly appeared in front of Zelda - causing the burning hand in her hand to intensify, making her flinch.

Before she had been able to control the burn - the deep searing pain was just enough that she could control it.  
But the Whizzrobe had completely broken her concentration.  
She could feel the icy cold from the creature spread over her entire body - the creature was unmistakably of the ice variety. 

Within only a few seconds Link was in front of her, wielding one of his fire arrows – but the Whizzrobe giggled and then disappeared, showing only the small trail that followed it.  
“Zelda, go” his voice was firm as he jumped off Epona, looking feverishly for the trail the Whizzrobe had created. It would be back again soon – and even though Zelda wanted to help, she knew at the moment she had no choice but to run. 

She kicked her heels together, causing Artax to flee – several Bokoblins started to follow her, ignoring Link completely.  
Her heart was racing now, but the bridge was close – only a few more meters.  
But the Moblin which stormed in front of her made sure that she would go no further. Artax reared once more and caused Zelda to lose balance, falling onto her back, pushing the air out of her lungs. 

Now the other Bokoblins stormed towards her – the Moblin was screaming in front of her. Her hand was burning, but there was no glow – no sign of any of her power manifesting. She did not even have the bow, but she pulled out her small dagger trying to make sure her hands stopped trembling. 

From behind, she heard a loud thud, and then the hissing of an arrow being fired, but she could not see what it had hit – the ruins were in her way. 

But then she heard another thud and Link had skidded in front of her– as she looked up she saw him snapping his fingers, and the creatures in front of them tensed up then fell to the floor twitching. 

She knew what it was – but she had never realised that Urbosa had given him that power. He had grabbed her wrist, pulling her up and pushing her towards the bridge. No words needed to be expressed, but Zelda still looked backwards – at least this time there was no sign of the Whizzrobe. 

But although a number of the Bokoblins had just dissolved into black smoke behind them – a few stood up again, grabbing their weapons and going to attack once more.  
“Go, Zelda. I’ll catch up” for a brief second Link then knelt, and Zelda stared at him in complete bewilderment – what was he doing? 

But the Bokoblins still storming towards them made her think twice about watching him. So she continued running towards the bridge, finally passing the start of the ruins – with the monsters still following her.  
Then she remembered Link teaching her to whistle. She had performed rather poorly – more often than not just blowing raspberries. But she had to try. 

_Goddesses, please let this work_

She held her hands to her mouth and then tried to whistle. Initially starting a good whistle but then dissolving into unintelligible sounds. Being breathless did not help.  
Once more she put her hands to her mouth and whistled again – this time it was shrill and loud, and within only a few seconds, she heard hooves following behind her. It was Artax. In a second she had grabbed the reigns and pulled herself up – only just able to place her foot into the stirrup. 

Behind her, she could hear the Bokoblins stopping, clearly annoyed at the fact they were not able to keep up with her. 

Finally, she felt she could look back to Link. It was remarkable to see that only a few of the Bokoblins were still standing and he had already whistled Epona to take him out of the situation he was in.  
Even as he mounted the horse – she still saw him firing off arrows to stop the group which were still pursuing him. 

She slowed for only a brief minute but then out of the corner of her eye saw two lots of monsters which were camping by the bridge. How many of these were there? And how on earth had Link ever gotten through them? 

Without Zelda even doing anything, Artax fell back into a gallop, this time not slowing down for Zelda to look to Link.  
It felt like forever until Artax finally slowed his pace into a fast trot and Zelda was finally able to pull in his reigns, causing him to stop. 

Artax was breathing heavily, sweat glistening off his white coat and she patted his shoulder in gratefulness that he had gotten her out of there. But what about Link?  
Almost as soon as she turned, she could hear hooves thundering towards her, and the first thing she saw was the flash of brown from Epona’s coat and Link’s scruffy blond hair.  
The sense of relief at seeing him was immeasurable. 

She scrambled off Artax, almost finding her feet tangling in the stirrups – she was still trembling as the adrenaline had definitely left her body.  
Link did the same as he saw her, coming off Epona in almost full gallop.

“I told you to run” despite what Link had said what he did was very different – taking her into his arms and wrapping his arms around her waist and shoulders.  
“I’m sorry”, Zelda spoke the words but, like Link, she didn't mean it. 

Zelda’s hadn’t even noticed how breathless and sweaty she had become. But then Link’s top was nearly dripping in sweat.  
Not that she cared as she pulled him closer. They had gotten past that bridge.  
All they needed to do was just get through the duel peaks, and they would be at Kakariko village. 

\--

Link came to a halt as they stood just outside Kakariko. He could see the red dust which was scattered around the entrance of the village and the flags which were now red – replacing the colourful ones which had been there before. 

He furrowed his brow in contemplation, but Zelda answered his question without him even asking it.  
“I think it’s some sort of magic spell. Something to keep the demons away…” Zelda muttered looking up at the flags.

“The Princess is here!” Link had not even noticed Koko and Cottla sitting on one of the small outcrops of rocks which guided people into the village.  
Cottla was trying to scramble down, almost falling with the rush of needing to get to them.  
Link had already dismounted Epona and ran over to catch Cottla who was about to fall flat on her face.  
“Link! I’m so glad you’re back!” Cottla’s arms were thrown around Link’s neck, and the little girl squeezed him with a strength he didn’t realise Cottla had. 

Koko had now also gotten down from the steep ravine, brushed herself off and then curtsied to Zelda who smiled “Your Majesty”. When Impa had introduced Zelda as the Princess Hyrule, none of the others in the village could have been more delighted that Koko and Cottla. Not because of the fact that they knew who she was – but more for the fact that she was a Princess. 

Zelda dismounted Artax, still smiling “There is no need for that, Koko.”  
Link smirked as he looked to her and then immediately felt Cottla struggling out of his arms to drop to the floor to run to Zelda.  
“Oh – I’m so glad you are back!” Cottla was quite literally jumping up and down with excitement before she grabbed Zelda’s hand “They’ll be wanting to see you!” 

Koko was trying her very best to lessen Cottla’s enthusiasm – but this was a task well beyond her as Cottla just started to pull Zelda into the village with Koko following.  
Link took the two horses and followed them in – once again looking back to the red dust and then to the ravine which led to the village. 

This is where he had seen his reflection. He worried if it had followed him – and if it had, why had it not attacked? Was he waiting for something?  
“Link!!” Koko was shouting at the top of her voice, and Link noted he must have been standing there for longer than he thought “Come on!!” 

Another look and then he followed swiftly, tugging Epona and Artax alongside him. As he turned the corner, he could already see most of the villagers who had come out to greet them. Cottla was still holding Zelda’s hand, looking pleased with herself. Impa was struggling down the stairs – accompanied by Paya. But then Link saw somebody else who was almost as excited as Cottla. He recognised Symin before he realised that it must have been Purah. 

Clearly whatever was going on seemed to be far more critical than he was anticipating. Even when Link had gone to save Zelda Purah had never come to Kakariko village. And he was still not wholly sure if anyone knew about Purah’s age reversing spell. Although that seemed a moot point given what was going on. 

As Link came closer, he could hear the commotion between Purah, Impa and Zelda. Purah had already grabbed the dead Sheikah slate off Zelda’s belt and was staring at it with Zelda telling her exactly what had happened- Link could see it due to her constant pointing and gesturing about how the shrine had closed. 

There was no way he was going to get involved with what was going on, and so he stayed away – but still close enough to keep his eye on Zelda. But it was only a matter of time until Zelda started to gesture towards Link and he sighed deeply. Dorian had begun to move towards him and reached out for the horses’ reigns. 

“They want to speak to you” Dorian patted Link on the shoulder “It’s good to see you back safe, Master Link.”  
Link tugged one of the corners of his lips upwards in something of a smile “Thank you.”  
Another firm pat on the shoulder from Dorian and then he led the horses away to the stables while Link started to move towards Zelda and the others. 

Initially, Zelda went to grab his hand but immediately pulled it back, having realised where they were and how the other Villagers were now eyeing them suspiciously.  
That was likely not the best idea in the world, and Link moved slightly further away from Zelda – a respectable distance, he thought. But still the whispers started to follow, and Link subtly rolled his eyes. 

Impa had already noted this development and went to shepherd them up to the house. “Come, come.” Paya jumped to attention and went to aid her grandmother, who Link noticed looked just as exhausted as she had done when he left.  
“Link! How wonderful. Although not wonderful, I suppose” the sprightly voice of Purah rang in his ears now, and he needed to try and remind himself that she was, in fact, older than Impa. 

Zelda’s hand was now being pried from Cottla’s by Koko as she started to usher her towards their house. The reassurance by Koko that Zelda would be here tomorrow was not soothing her in any way. “Come, we have no time to waste” Impa spoke firmly with Paya assisting her up the stairs and with reluctance Zelda moved up the stairs.

Link brushed over Zelda’s back, trying to move her towards the stairs and Zelda stiffened up blushing furiously. That would obviously not help as Link peered around looking to Claree and Rola who looked as if they were already starting rumours.  
But that was not what needed to be dealt with right now. Right now, other things took priority. 

-

Zelda hadn’t even noticed that Link had left permanently – and when she stood up from her sitting position on the floor, she looked around, not finding him.  
“He went outside, your Highness” Paya was standing just behind Zelda – Purah and Impa had now moved back into the library where Impa had all of her books laid out.  
“Please, call me Zelda.”  
“The Innkeeper has prepared a room for you” Paya smiled as best she could, ignoring her statement. Zelda could see there was something else behind it – something that seemed to be hurting her. 

“I know about you. About you and Link.” Zelda’s heart dropped to her feet – this was the first time that somebody had actually said what was going on. No rumours, no suspicions – just the actual fact that they were both in a relationship.  
“I want you to know. That I am happy for you” Paya tried her very best to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. 

But Zelda’s face must have shown complete shock and Paya immediately started to stammer “No one knows, your Highness. Just Impa and me.”  
So Impa knew as well? Her heart was now starting to race, and Paya’s face started to look ashen – much as Zelda’s must have.  
“No one will know. I just want to let you know – that I am happy for you both. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything” Paya was now babbling and Zelda could barely follow what she was saying. 

With all of that, she just decided to embrace Paya to make her stop speaking, and that seemed to help – Payas shoulders relaxed visibly, and she sighed in relief.  
“Thank you, Paya.”  
“Nothing you need to be thankful for” Paya finally started to smile.  
There were so many things that Zelda knew Paya was giving up – she had seen her around Link. But she did know that she was happy for them – the honesty in her voice was apparent. 

Paya then squeezed Zelda tighter and released her “Link will be outside. I will need to make sure Impa goes to bed. I am hoping now you are back, she will relax. A little bit at least.”  
Zelda again wanted to apologise but stopped herself. 

“Good night, Paya.”  
“Good night” Paya smiled and then moved towards the room that Impa and Purah had retreated into. 

Zelda stood alone in the room and then turned to go outside. Link had excused himself not long after they had started talking – saying he wanted to clear his head. But he clearly hadn't returned.

The brisk night air smelt wonderfully fresh when she stepped outside – she hadn’t realised quite how stuffy it had been in the room they had been in.

“Your Highness?” Zelda startled and turned around quickly. Link had been hiding just behind the door – making sure she could not leave without him seeing it.  
“Link” her heart was racing when he first spoke – but she quickly calmed herself, “Paya said we have been given a room by the innkeeper”  
Link just nodded, his arms placed behind his back and Zelda furrowed her brow “What’s the matter?” 

A small gesture from Link made Zelda turn and look towards the windows where some of the curtains were twitching.  
“They’ve been waiting for us to leave. I think the villagers are expecting something.”  
Link was now standing just behind her, smirking. 

“Well, it would appear the rumours had likely come from Paya and Impa.” Link frowned as Zelda looked at him  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well – they know. Did you know that they knew?”  
Link opened his mouth and then closed it – clearing his throat, refusing to look at her.  
“Paya knows. We had a discussion about it…” Zelda could see Link shifting and moving his weight from one leg to the other. 

“A discussion?” Zelda felt that pang of jealousy come up in her. Now that she knew she started to realise how different Payas behaviour was around Link. No longer so nervous, no stammering or stuttering. 

“She kissed me.” Zelda’s heart was racing now, and she could feel herself frowning “but when I told her we couldn’t – she assumed it was because of us.”  
“So, she just kissed you? Nothing else?” why Zelda felt it would be a good idea to ask him about that was beyond her. Either way, she couldn’t do anything about it. 

Instead of Link reassuring her, they had indeed done nothing he just smirked – looking into her eyes “Is that Jealously?”  
“No!” Zelda’s voice was nearly a squeak, and Link chuckled  
“No. There was nothing else. And I refused her advances, your Highness” now Link took his focus from her and looked outwards to the curtains which were now furiously twitching, and he sighed “We need to get out of here. I don’t even want to think about what they will be saying about us tomorrow.” 

“Well…” Zelda now recalled what the Gerudo had said before she left. That ‘Mistress Link’ and she had a very ‘close’ relationship. Thinking about it, clearly, she knew what they were implying. And she also knew that Traysi lived in the Gerudo village. Even if the Kakariko village would not spread anything about them from here – she suspected that Traysi would.  
“I think the Gerudo know.” 

Link’s mouth opened, and then he shook his head “You shouldn’t have been so loud…” he was trying very hard to fight a smile – Zelda could see his mouth twitching. 

“Well, it was your fault.” The implication from Zelda did make Link smile, however, and he moved up towards her to whisper in her ear  
“yes, I suppose it was” he whispered a kiss onto her neck and then moved back “It’s getting late, your Highness. We will have an early start tomorrow.” 

Zelda took a deep breath in when he spoke, and she knew she was blushing horribly.  
His defiance was now starting to show itself, and Zelda realised she liked it.  
But she was not going to let him have the last word. Her hands were placed onto his chest, and she kissed him softly on the lips – very much aware of the fact that any of the villagers could see. 

In fact, one of the curtains was now wide open – but she couldn’t see who was looking out, not that she really cared.  
Link’s eyes widened in shock at her boldness, and as she came away she smirked  
“I can play that game too.” 

It took a while for Link to gather himself and follow her down the stairs. However, much to Zelda’s satisfaction, he remained silent.


	26. The person you could be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are finally alone 
> 
> Link starts to ponder who he could have been

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so, about 90% of this is full on SHAMELESS, smack you in the face smut  
> Like, not even a little bit of anything else. 
> 
> If you do not wish to see this, please move on 
> 
> Thanks for the comments all - really really appreciate them :) 
> 
> Everything is going well so far, starting to recover from my chemo (only to start it again in like 3 weeks) 
> 
> Thank you again :) 
> 
> x

It had been frightfully easy to get access to the room that Paya said was prepared for them. The Innkeeper was sleeping when Zelda tried to get his attention. Link had to interfere and shout loudly at him to make him stir.  
He was entirely disinterested, giving them the key and waving them upstairs.  
Zelda looked confused at all of this, but Link just shepherded her upstairs as the Innkeeper seemed to have fallen asleep again.  
“Is he the only one who works here?” Zelda turned towards Link, and he gave a shrug  
“Yes. But if you are referring to his sleepiness – he is always like this” 

Once they had gotten into the room itself, Zelda was left standing by the door, crossing her arms and looking annoyed. Why did he always need to check places like that?  
As he started to open cupboards and look under the bed, Zelda decided it was enough and walked in, placing her hand onto his shoulder “It’s fine. There’s nothing here.” 

Link did not look convinced and looked around one more time before placing his sword in his scabbard. He continued to scrutinise the room before Zelda came forward and placed her other hand onto his shoulders “Link.”  
She tried to sound seductive but was not entirely sure she did it right. Hopefully, her nuzzling his neck and encircling him with her arms would make it apparent what she wanted. 

“As we have now established that you were slightly too loud for the Gerudo – maybe we shouldn’t…” he didn’t finish the sentence, but as Zelda moved closer to him, he turned slowly and placed both of his hands around her waist – entirely in contrast to what he had just said.  
“Then I’ll have to be quiet…?” her hand started to stroke his hairline and Link looked worried, but there was also a heat in his eyes which caused butterflies to erupt in Zelda’s stomach. 

The defiance in Link was starting to fade as she moved closer to him, pressing against him and Link sighed – although it sounded more like a whine.  
As Zelda started to lean in, she placed her other hand just below his ear. She paused, feeling his warm breath on her lips and basking in his smell – the fresh grass was almost entirely erased by his sweat and the musk from him, causing her heart to race. 

Finally, Link whispered “Have you locked the door?” his hands started to trail over her lower back, and he slipped his hand under her top, brushing up her spine.  
Instantly Zelda nodded and went to lean into him, brushing her lips against his, but still Link pulled away. 

Zelda saw him shift slightly. There was still something in him, which made him reluctant to continue. But every time she looked into his eyes, she could see it melt away. 

“and you will be quiet?” he pulled her top up slightly more, and Zelda sighed as she felt his callous hands over her soft skin. At the moment she would be anything if it meant he continued to do what he was doing. 

“I promise…” her voice was more of a whimper than anything else.  
Link then brushed her hair over her shoulder and whispered in a soft voice by her ear “We’ll see.” One of his hands stroked the side of her throat in a teasing manner, and Zelda took a deep breath in. The promise in his voice made her heart beat faster, and the heat in her stomach travelled down between her legs.  
Link had hardly done anything, but she was already starting to become wet. 

Finally, Link delicately pressed his lips against hers, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her into him.  
Nothing else mattered to her now – she wanted him immediately. Who knew when they would have the chance to be alone again.  
Link seemed to feel the same way as the kiss was pulled slightly deeper and he pushed his tongue into her mouth, intertwining it with hers. 

Zelda went to move her arms around his neck – but instead, Link ran his hands downwards, starting to tug at her shirt, unmistakably wanting it off.  
Even though they had only made love twice, she could begin to see Link virile nature taking over. His hands were becoming more enthusiastic when he explored her, and she could feel his strength starting to become slightly less restrained than what it had been that first time. She couldn’t deny she liked it. 

Reluctantly Zelda drew away letting Link pull her top off and throw it on the wooden floor – as soon as he had she started to try and release the buckle of his over-belt with trembling hands, and Link helped – deftly pulling the belt off and then unbuckling his harness, letting his sword drop to the sword with a clatter. Zelda giggled  
“Quiet” she whispered, but Link just ignored her statement and pulled off his tunic causing Zelda's heart to stop for a few seconds. 

While they had been in the Gerudo Kingdom, she had been able to see him like that when they were in the dim moonlight. But now – now they were in a room with the soft light of the fire, and she needed to just take him in. 

She moved her hands over his biceps, trailing them up to his broad shoulders and then looked downwards, brushing over his toned stomach and she swallowed as she saw the bulge in his trousers. Her stare had been completely fixed on his body, and Link chuckled, moving his thumb and forefinger to her chin and pulling her gaze upwards.  
“My eyes are here” the voice he spoke with was soft and Zelda could feel herself blushing. 

Although she wanted to apologise Link had already drawn her back in before he gathered her up into his arms – holding the back of her shoulders with one hand and pulling her legs from underneath her with the other. It was a swift movement, and Zelda tried to find something to grip onto, but Link’s strength made it unnecessary. 

He moved her with two swift steps to the bed, placing her onto it with her legs still on the boarded floor. This was slightly confusing to her, but before she could think about it, Link was already trying to pull her boots off which she clumsily tried to help with – most likely hindering rather than helping him. 

Once he had finally had them off he didn't hesitate - finding her lips hungrily. The rough cotton sheets were pressed against her back and Link braced himself on his arms, covering her. 

The kiss was bruising and Zelda could feel herself becoming breathless, gasping in between what he was doing.  
Taking this opportunity, Link pushed his tongue into her mouth, exploring her thoroughly. Although she wanted to draw him into her, Link was set on getting her clothes off, moving to her silk bra to unclasp it and toss it to the floor. 

His tongue was still pushing into her when he moved his hands over her ribcage, letting his palms explore her fully. Every time he touched her skin it felt like electricity coursing through her and she whimpered at even the slightest of his touches.  
His smell was now intoxicating her in the most wonderful way.

His hand had now moved to her breast, delicately brushing over her nipple, but as she arched her back he moved away. This was agony but it felt so good - her breath had already escaped her and she found herself trembling under his touch. 

The hand which had been over her breasts now started to move between her legs. She knew she was wet - it was seeping through her leggings and she felt slightly embarrassed.  
However, as Link pushed his palm into her crotch with gentle firmness, all of that was forgotten, and she gave out a keening hum. Link seemed to be pleased with this and growled from the back of his throat, nipping her earlobe. 

"Take them off..." he whispered and he started to pull at her leggings. Zelda needed a moment to compose herself as her heart skipped a beat when he said that.  
Her hips were quickly lifted - she wanted him there more than anything. The leggings she had on slid over her legs, with her underwear accompanying it. Her feet were now trying to pull them off with Link helping her as much as he could, unwilling to move his lips from her. 

At last, she pulled one leg out, and that was enough for Link as he covered her again, pushing against her crotch with the bulge in his trousers causing her to whine. She pushed her hips up towards him, grinding on him, sure that he would be able to feel how wet she was even through his trousers. 

Link to growled deep in his throat before moving away from her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she suddenly felt bereft of him, her lips still tingling from his kisses, and she wanted that again.  
But then she saw the mischievous glint in his eyes – so unlike him – and it made her take a deep breath in. 

He moved downwards now kissing the area between her neck and collar bone and then further still, skimming over her ribcage and moving to her lower abdomen. When he then nipped her hipbone, she took a sharp breath in through her teeth.  
“Relax…” Link murmured, briefly peering up to her and manoeuvring himself between her legs. 

Now it was apparent why he had left her legs on the floor – that foresight from him made her heart flutter in her chest, and she had to take a deep breath in.

A pillow was pulled from the bed by Link, and he placed it onto her chest “Quiet” he whispered and kissed the inside of her thigh, moving up to that area that Zelda so wanted him to be. Then he stopped and moved to the other thigh, spreading her legs gently. 

Goddesses, why was he doing this to her? She was not quite brave enough to move him to where she wanted him to be, and so she remained patient – but then he dipped a finger into her folds, spreading her gently. 

Her back arched as she whimpered loudly and Link gently went to push the pillow up encouraging her to use it, and with quivering hands, she moved it over her mouth, now unable to see Link and unsure of what he would do next. 

But then she felt something warm, wet and soft moving over the most sensitive part of her and she gasped loudly which after developed into a deep moan. Never had she experienced anything like this before. Link pushed the pillow up towards her again but did not move his mouth from her. 

Then he licked her again, and she had to moan loudly, trying to muffle it with the pillow.  
The sensation made her squirm underneath him, but Link held her hips still, teasing her with his tongue, exploring her. 

She found herself almost biting the pillow now, especially as she felt Link’s finger move to her opening and gently push into her slick centre.  
How was that pillow meant to be enough to drown out her gasps and moans?  
“Link…!” she almost sobbed his name now, loud enough to be heard through the pillow she was trying to muffle it with. 

But he continued the torturously slow, gentle movements, swirling over her hard clit, tasting her. He stopped for a very brief moment, shifting her towards him slightly more and then placed her leg up over his shoulder, barely moving his mouth from her. His finger continued to move in her, finding that sensitive bundle of nerves which caused her to gasp. 

Muffling her moans was becoming increasingly difficult, and she bit onto the pillow again, gripping the cotton sheet with her trembling hand.  
Every movement he made was driving her crazy, and he licked her with the broadside of his tongue, still making that come-hither movement with the finger which was deep inside of her. 

She was gasping into the pillow now, and as Link continued to tease her, she found he was calling from her sounds she didn’t even know she could make and feelings she didn’t realise she could feel. 

Then he started to gently suck on her bud, and it all came crashing down on her – the pleasure filled waves came from between her legs and then spread over her entire body.  
Although she didn’t want the sensation to end, she was now incredibly sensitive, and she had to push him away with her quivering hand. Her eyes remained closed, basking in the aftermaths of her orgasm. 

Link started to move up her body now, kissing her lower stomach, moving the pillow from her chest and settling over her.  
“You said you’d be quiet…?” it was with great difficulty that he was trying to hide a smirk, but Zelda ignored it – still gasping, trying to find her words.  
Every movement he made now was tender and soft, and his hands slowly brushed over the side of her throat.

She could still feel the bulge in his trousers, and instead of answering, she moved to his belt, opening it with trembling hands.  
Link did not object, and he let her slide his hands into his underwear, grasping his erection gently and starting to move her hand up and down. She wanted to do what Link had done for her and tried to flip him over, but instead, Link pinned her wrist to the bed – the other still in his trousers. 

“Not now…” he whispered into her ear “I want to be inside you…”  
Zelda’s heart fluttered, and Link tugged her up the bed, so they were finally both on the mattress before he moved away, pulling off the last of his clothing before he pushed her back onto white cotton sheets. 

But this time he didn’t move over her- this time he started to turn her ever so slightly, so her back was facing him.  
Zelda felt herself blush as he started to move her and stared at him.  
“Just trust me…” he spoke softly and Zelda knew she did. She trusted him with her life every day.

Slowly Link continued to turn her over, placing her back towards him with her on her side – tenderly moving her hair over one shoulder and kissing her neck.  
Zelda could feel his hard, muscular chest pressing against her back – and then something else which made her blush. 

Link so desperately wanted to just move into her – but he was worried that if her moans were to echo throughout the Inn, there would be no keeping it a secret anymore.  
He grabbed a pillow and pulled it up to Zelda’s chest. This position was the only way he could think off to at least try and be quiet. 

“Shall we try again then…?” Link smirked and positioned himself at her opening, but waited for a little while. Goddesses, she looked so perfect. He brushed his palms along the curves of her body, pulling her hips towards him slightly more.  
Very gently he moved into her and Zelda started to whimper as he did so, muffling the sound into the pillow. 

They needed to stay quiet, but he so wanted to hear her moan in earnest at his movements.  
Link sank into her completely, letting her adjust to him before he pulled out and moved into her slightly more forcefully. This time he could hear the keening hum from her, and she gripped the sheets.

She was so very wet and hot around him, and he took a deep breath in before he started to move into her, brushing his hand to her leg to pull it up ever so slightly.  
Now he was starting to groan as quietly as he could – but the feel of her around him was making it very difficult. 

Zelda whimpered again, muffling it into the pillow. Her heart was racing, and the heat in her stomach had already started to increase. Then Link lifted up her leg and sank into her once more, and she could feel him touching areas he hadn’t found in her yet. 

Every inch of him felt so wonderful – and being in this position made it feel so deviant. His movements were now becoming slightly firmer but maintaining the constant, slow speed, thrusting into her as deep as he could. As Zelda heard his groans in her ear, they made her even more excited. The pillow on her chest was becoming damp with her saliva where she was breathing into it, trying to muffle her moans. 

She could hear Link adjust himself again – pushing himself up on his elbow, bracing himself and then pulling her leg upwards a little more. In that position he was able to graze against her neck, trailing his tongue along it and nipping the area between her neck and collarbone causing her to gasp. 

The pillow was now forgotten as she was getting too breathless and as Link continued to thrust into her, she just moaned deeply. She could feel every inch of him, her body welcoming him with every thrust.

They were not even trying to be quiet now. Every time Zelda moaned Link would growl deep from the bottom of his throat into her neck. Zelda’s skin was now glistening with sweat, and she could feel him glide over her back, stopping briefly when he was deep inside her before continuing his thrusts. 

Her eyes were closed now, basking in the pleasure he was giving her, and as she felt that delicious heat in her stomach, she knew she would come soon. Her hand which had been holding the pillow now started to slip down her stomach, slowly pushing into her folds and feeling her achingly sensitive clit. 

She could feel Link moving in her, slick with her moisture. His length intruding into her and the friction on her clit made all of the tension suddenly release. Her muscles shuddered, and she moaned not caring if anybody heard – she just wanted to keep this feeling as long as she could. 

As Link felt her moaning like that and clenching around him, he gripped her leg slightly tighter, pulling it up to thrust into her one more time before spilling himself into her with a loud groan.  
Link had his head against the back of Zelda’s neck, and he could feel himself sweating. They remained breathless, but as the silence continued, they had a realisation of how loud they had been. 

This was only a small inn, and Link had little hope that they would have not been heard.  
He was expecting somebody to knock on the door very shortly asking if they were alright. 

Zelda started to move, and Link came out of his thoughts, placing a kiss on the back of her neck.  
“We weren’t very quiet, were we…?” Zelda bit her lip, turning slightly towards him to look at him. 

“No, not really…” Link tried to smirk but was probably making a rather bad impression of it.  
“So… what do we do now…?” the hand which Link had placed onto Zelda’s stomach started to wrap around her.  
“We wait and pray to the Goddesses that the Innkeeper sleeps incredibly well, that the walls are not as flimsy as they seem and that no one else is staying in the inn…” Link muttered and pulled her into him. 

There was a long pause before Zelda spoke: “At least it wasn’t just me this time…”  
Link couldn’t help but give out a small laugh, tickling her “you started it”  
Zelda was giggling now and trying to push his hands away from her. 

There was a moment in Link’s memory that came back to him. This had happened before – the tickling, the laughing. Not quite in this situation – and certainly not quite as intimately as this – but there had been that ease of being together. He thought the simplicity and comfort of being together like this were foreign to him. But it wasn’t. 

He started to think about the person he was before – it seemed he wasn’t much different to now.  
The stoic nature had likely been drilled into him by officers, drill sergeants and his father. What if he hadn’t had that? What if he had just been able to be himself?  
But then, he would never have met her – he would never have been chosen for the guard. 

Despite this, he still felt resentment towards his father and that made him feel guilty. This was not what a son should feel towards his father. And yet… 

“Link?” Zelda glanced over her shoulder, looking at him quizzically “Are you okay?”  
she slowly turned around to look at him and stroke over his hairline.  
“Link, are you crying…?” her surprise was palpable.  
Instead of answering Link moved his hand to his face and there they were – tears. Tears he didn’t even know he had been crying. 

“It’s fine” ignoring all of this he went to pull Zelda into his chest. He didn’t want to speak about it – not yet. Certainly not when he didn’t quite know what it meant.  
If this had been only a few weeks ago, Zelda would have insisted on knowing what’s going on. But now, she stayed silent. Not out of anger – but out of respect for Link’s feelings. 

“Go to sleep…” he kissed her forehead. “We have a long day tomorrow… and given whoever may have heard us, maybe a much, much longer day…” he murmured the rest of this.  
Zelda smiled “Can we think of something to tell them…?”  
Link smirked “I will try and think of something tonight. You go to sleep. I’ll wake you in the morning.” 

Tonight, he would not sleep. He found the problems from sleeping in the stable were enough for him for a little while. And he wanted to make sure that whatever had attacked him would not come for them again.  
He pulled her closer, settling her into his chest and could already feel Zelda’s breathing change, becoming slower and shallower. 

His thoughts wandered back to who he was. Who he could be. But it wouldn’t matter – his place was still at Zelda’s side. And it always would be.


	27. Return to Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda wants to enjoy those final few moments together 
> 
> Link starts to think about his parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 50% smut at the start - then non-smut. 
> 
> Sorry for the long delay guys... I have been unwell again in hospital - but am home again now. 
> 
> Unfortunately with where my tumour is I am unable to write when I have had a seizure - for about 24 hours afterwards which is very frustrating. 
> 
> I have finally started to get everything together - at least I had time to think about it all! 
> 
> Will try and get back onto weekly updates again
> 
> Chemo starts again on the 16th - hope to get something out by then :)
> 
> xxx

“Link?” Zelda spoke quietly – the first light was already visible in the sky, and they knew they would be anticipated to return Impa and Purah soon. But Zelda did not want to waste this opportunity.  
“Link?” she spoke slightly louder now and started to sit herself up – Link immediately opened his eyes, and she knew he had not been sleeping. 

“You are meant to be sleeping your Highness…?” he muttered, placing his hand around her waist and trying to lay her back down again. However, that is not what she wanted.  
Instead, she sat up properly and went to straddle him – Link sighed deeply and then frowned. 

“We made quite enough noise last night…” he placed his hands on her hips and held her still – but Zelda could again feel something stirring just behind her and then pressing into her back. 

“so… you are going to leave your Princess unsatisfied...?” she leaned forward, touching his lips with hers, not quite kissing him. Usually, this would not be something she would say or do – but her desire completely eroded all of her responsible self. 

Link swallowed, still holding her hips firm – Zelda knew he was trying to keep her there as she knew any movement from her would make his composure break.  
“Please…” she whispered, stroking his hairline and then staring to play with his hair.  
Link tightened his grip on her hips, and Zelda knew how much he was trying to restrain himself. It would not take much to make him relent. She could see the heat in his eyes. 

Again, she brushed across his lips, delicately placing a kiss onto them and then slowly pushed her tongue into his mouth.  
She could hear him growl quietly from the back of his throat and immediately he released her hips, turning her, so she was on the bed, pressing her firmly into the mattress. 

“But please... be quiet...” his desire had finally overcome him - but even then, his voice sounded anxious.  
“I’ll try” Zelda smirked, and Link looked her over again, and she knew he wasn’t entirely sure whether they should continue giving what she had said. To persuade him, Zelda lifted her hips, pushing against his erection. 

It took only a few seconds for Link to concede when she did that, and he pressed his lips against hers. Desperately he pushed the thin sheet which was separating them away, and Zelda could feel his warm skin on hers. His palm now explored her body, moving from her thighs to her lower stomach and then up to her ribcage, brushing over the curve of her breasts. There was a pause which lasted for only a few seconds – which for Zelda felt like hours. Then he moved to her nipples and started to roll them between his thumb and forefinger, causing Zelda to gasp. His other hand was holding him up, leaning over her. 

Her heart was now beating faster, and the warmth in her stomach spread down between her legs - she was aching to feel him in her, filling her completely. Even thinking about it made her heart skip a beat and she hungrily found his lips again, this time pushing her tongue inside his mouth. Link widened his eyes when she did that but let him pull her into her, moving his hand from her breasts and instead going to move it around the back of her shoulders.  
Then in a fluid movement, he sat up, pulling his lips away from her and drawing her towards him, so they were both sitting. 

Link stretched his legs out, settling her on his lap with her legs either side of him.  
In her pleasure-filled haze, Zelda took a little while to work out what he had done, but the change in position was certainly not unwelcome. 

Both of them were breathless, and Zelda moved slightly, making herself comfortable. She knew his erection was only inches away from her opening, and she had to take a deep breath in.  
She moved further into him, wrapping one of her arms around his shoulders; the other was placed on his chest.

Suddenly all of that intensity seemed to be forgotten as Link went to cup her face, placing one of his hands just under her ear. 

“You are breathtaking...” he spoke in a soft voice as his hand moved down, gently touching her neck. Zelda could feel a heat coming up in her face, and she dropped her gaze, but Link moved his forefinger and thumb to her chin and tilted it upwards again.  
As she looked up, she could see his eyes – they were a beautiful blue, like the ocean and so full of life.  
She couldn’t help but think of the many things that those eyes had seen – and yet she knew so little of it. As did Link. 

The hand from his chest moved up to the back of his head trailing through his soft, blond hair.  
“I love you...” her voice was barely audible as she drew him towards her. Link gave a small smile and moved closer, his skin was now pressing against hers.

That moment before their lips met felt almost electric - Zelda grasped his hair gently and finally pulled her towards him, pressing her lips to his.  
She sighed deeply as she finally felt him at her opening and then Link moved her, gripping her hips so he could enter her. The torture of how slow he moved made Zelda whine into the kiss, but Link did not give in to her noises.  
At those final few centimetres, Zelda had to gasp, pulling away from him and placing her forehead to his, closing her eyes. 

It took a small while for her adjust to him being in her fully, and she whimpered quietly. Link paused for a moment, waiting for her breath to settle. Then he began to guide her hips - gently moving her up and down and she gave out a keening humm. 

She wanted so desperately to just feel him thrust into her, but Link gripped her hips tight, trying to slow her movements as much as he could.  
As Zelda finally settled into the gradual movements, she started to feel different sensations – every glorious inch of him pushing into her, pushing her towards the edge. 

But she wanted more. She looked down now, watching Link sink into her and she sighed, feeling her heart flutter. Then she started to roll her hips – making sure he could feel every inch of her and Link began to groan. This pleased her, and she began to move her hips – continuing the slow movements he had started.

She felt Link’s hand now move from her hips to her upper thigh, pushing her into him firmly  
“Goddesses Zelda…” he hissed that more than he spoke it and Zelda felt her heart skip a beat, slowly increasing the movements of her hips – but trying to pace herself. 

The warm feeling in her stomach was starting to increase, and although she was trying to muffle her moans, intermittently, a whimper would escape her lips. Link wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her towards him and he moved to her neck, slowly trailing his tongue along it. 

Zelda could hear his groans in her ear, and she was finding it very difficult to keep quiet, so she had to move her hand to her mouth, biting on her finger and squeezing her eyes shut.  
As Link then nipped on her neck, she gasped loudly and pushed into him slightly more, feeling herself clench around him. The waves of pleasure which came over her body were slower but still as amazing as they ever were. 

She was starting to tremble, finding it difficult to continue to move so Link grabbed her hips and pushed her into him steadily, making Zelda moan.  
“Link” she whispered with a quivering voice – it sounded much more like a squeak.  
Then Link gave out a guttural moan from the back of his throat, and she felt his movements become firm. As he came in her, he couldn’t help but bite the side of her neck, causing Zelda to pull in air through her teeth sharply – however, the sensation of pain and pleasure made her moan. 

Link continued to slowly move in her before he stopped and spoke with a breathless voice “Sorry…” he kissed the side of her neck which he had bitten and then moved backwards, pressing his forehead to hers.  
“I just… “he looked slightly embarrassed, and Zelda giggled  
“It’s okay…” 

Both of them were now silent, just enjoying the sensation of being together. Zelda placed her head onto his shoulder and started to feel the hard muscles under his skin – feeling the scars along his back. She closed her eyes and moved her palms over them – trying to commit all of them to memory.  
She knew he would soon have another scar from the wound on his shoulder, which was still bandaged. 

Link moved his hand upwards, trailing along her spine and then kissed her neck “I love you…” he murmured. Link did not say this often, but every time he did, it made her heart flutter. She couldn’t help but smile and moved her head from his shoulders and brushed over his hairline before pulling him in for a soft kiss – sighing deeply as she did so. 

As she came away, she felt herself frowning “Do we really need to get up…?” she felt the disappointment starting to hang over her as she looked into his eyes, but Link pulled one of the corners of his lips upwards.  
“Yes… unless you want more rumours flying around…”  
“What if I do…?” Zelda teased – still not letting him push her off him.  
Link did not answer – knowing that if he did, he would quite easily have just stayed in that bed. 

“They’ll be expecting us…” he sighed, pressing his forehead against hers.  
He seemed to be saying all of the things that he should, but not acting on any of them.  
They both suspected that this would be the last time for a while they would be in a room like this, and they didn’t want to waste those moments together.  
Soon they would have to play the other roles they had - that of the Princess and her knight.  
Zelda suspected that this would be a much more difficult secret to hide in future. But that was not what they needed to focus on – not yet.  
There would be time for them. Just not now. 

 

\--

Link closed the door as Zelda was getting dressed. He thought it would be a better idea to leave separately – or in their case being further apart than they would generally be.  
The rooms upstairs were quiet, and Link was hopeful there were no more patrons in the lodging. 

He moved to peer down the stairs, seeing the Innkeeper still sleeping. The hope was that their lovemaking in the night and this morning had not woken him. 

Link moved back up to the door and settled himself on the floor, leaning back and looking to the ceiling. He thought about his memories last night. Despite having thought about it all last night, there wasn’t much he could go by. 

He knew that he loved his father but could feel the bitterness in his heart growing. He knew his stoic nature was mostly drilled into him by him. There was a vague memory of his mother – although he could only sense the feeling of her being with him. There was safety and security – but he was unable to see her or to visualise her in any way. 

But his father. He could see his blue eyes glaring at him when he did something wrong, scowling and shouting at him when something was not right. Sometimes it was Link’s wrist movements. Sometimes is was the the way he moved, his attacks.  
He remembered his well-trimmed beard – the chainmail he wore underneath his dark green shirt which showed he was a high-ranking officer. Every time his father was not on duty, he would be with training with Link until late at night. And if he still could not master whatever technique they were practising they would stay up all night. 

He often would fall, injuring himself. Especially as the tiredness was starting to overcome him. Usually, it was just bruises and contusions. But occasionally the injuries would be more serious - a sprained ankle or wrist or significant injuries from where his father had accidentally struck him with his sword. 

It was his mother who would tend to his wounds – gently washing them and bandaging them if he needed it.  
If only he could remember something about her. 

At that point, he must have been quite young – he could remember the other guard taunting him about being a mamas-boy, and he tried so very hard to not keep up that reputation. As a young boy, this was something that bothered him. 

This was probably the reason he had started to distance himself from her – even deciding to stay in the Barracks because of all of this.  
He had become bitter towards everybody at the end of his training. If people shouted and him, scolded him or even hurt him he didn't care. 

But Zelda had changed all of that – drawing out his emotions again. Initially, he had been reluctant – but it was her smile, how she curled her lip when she was concentrating, how she had such enthusiasm when talking about the fauna of Hyrule. 

Initially, they had quite a complicated relationship – despite how Link felt about her. Clearly, she did not feel the same way, and thankfully, his stoic nature had worked to his advantage. But towards the end, she had started to warm to him – and he knew that she loved him. 

But now he felt they were trying to be pulled apart again. 

He started to think about what had happened over the last few days. The creatures that attacked them, the feeling of the sword on his back wanting to be with him to fight something he still wasn’t sure about.  
But even though he had thought about this all last night, there was nothing he could apply this feeling to. 

He was not sure what Impa and Purah would say today - but he suspected they would need to travel to Hyrule castle first to try and find a lead. Running through Hyrule with no plan seemed pointless and dangerous. 

Then there was a noise, and Link shot up, standing before the door was even opened. Zelda was dressed in her standard riding gear, and for some reason, she looked even more beautiful than she ever had. Her skin was flawless ivory, her lips slightly swollen from the kisses they had shared and her golden hair flowed downwards as if it was cut from silk.  
And her eyes – they were the most perfect green, like new spring growth in the forest and Link found himself just staring at her for a while. 

“Are you okay?” Zelda queried, tilting her head slightly and brushing a piece of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.  
“Yes,” Link shook himself out of his thoughts. If they had the time, he would have wanted to push her back into the room and had his way with her – but that was something they would likely have to wait a long while for. 

Zelda looked at him, shifting slightly, intermittently looking into his eyes and then she cleared her throat. He knew that she wanted to kiss him. Peering around, not seeing anyone or hearing anything, he pulled her towards him, wrapping his hand around her waist.  
In one movement, he had placed his other hand under her ear and kissed her softly, which Zelda returned, moving her hands around his neck.  
As much as they wanted that kiss to never end, Link heard something and with tremendous reluctance gently pushed her away. 

Almost immediately, a patron appeared from the room two doors down and stared at them. This was not someone that Link recognised from the village – he must have been an outsider staying in the Inn.  
The man glowered at them, and Link returned the look. He was not entirely sure if he had heard them or whether he was just generally grumpy. 

The man’s gaze wandered to Zelda, looking her up and down and then back to Link. He huffed and then pushed past them, and they stared at him as he walked down the stairs.  
Zelda moved up towards Link and whispered: “Do you think he heard us…?”  
He looked towards her and could see her blushing. He would very much have liked to say that he hadn’t – but who knew. The look the man gave them was entirely indecipherable.  
“Not sure.” He clenched his jaw, pulling one of the corners of his lips downwards.

Link quickly had a thought and looked to her “Is he one of them?”  
It was plausible. Link didn’t know him from the village, and he still did not know how Zelda could recognise who was a reflection or not.

Zelda frowned, obviously unsure what he was talking about. But then she raised her eyebrows, opening her mouth as if she would speak but looked back to the man as if she was questioning her own judgment.  
“So?” Link questioned again, already going to grasp his sword from his back, but Zelda quickly grabbed his hands  
“No, no he’s not” 

Link furrowed his brow and relaxed his arms. However, Zelda did not let go of his hands, instead intertwining her fingers with his and then pulling him in, so they were only a few inches apart. He could smell the perfume that she had applied – it was nice, but he much preferred her own scent. Goddesses what would he do to take her back into that room. 

His hand moved up, settling just below her ear and he leaned in slowly, just brushing his lips against hers. But then, they were interrupted by children’s Laughter, and Link snapped to attention, releasing her hand and standing back. 

The Innkeeper clearly had awoken with the loud noises from the children – likely Cottla and Koko. He told them that they needed to be quiet, others were sleeping. 

Link could feel himself frown – others were sleeping. Were they all in the private rooms? He hoped very much not.  
Then he could hear more shouting and Cottla stormed up the stairs to find them – Link moved back and immediately felt the longing to be with her. He was only a few metres away, but even that seemed too far. 

Both of the children were now enthusiastically talking to Zelda, completely ignoring Link. As they did Link was able to just stare at her – watching her movements, seeing her tuck her hair behind her ear as she laughed and smiled. Everything about her was so beautiful. 

“Link?” He suddenly came back to his senses and stared at Zelda, who was looking at him with some confusion. “Are you okay?”  
“Yes. Sorry, Your Highness” he cleared his throat and then placed his hands behind his back as he would have done before.  
He so desperately wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, but this was not the time. 

Now Cottla had grabbed Zelda by the hand, and she was dragging her down the stairs - incessantly talking about the breakfast herself and Koko had prepared.

She told them that once they had breakfast, they would be able to go and see Impa and Purah. A passing glance was exchanged between Zelda and Link, and they both knew that the villagers would likely be in attendance.  
This would be the moment they were dreading – but there was nothing to do now. Just hope and pray that no one had heard them.


	28. Sweetest Downfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda starts to realise the world is very different from before the Calamity 
> 
> Link and Zelda discuss memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See - I said I'd get it out before my chemo! :) 
> 
> Feeling awesome today and I know that will all be changed by tomorrow - haha 
> 
> There will obviously be some smut in the next chapter because reasons. 
> 
> And I really didn't realise how much fluff this was going to contain... it just sort of happened.
> 
>  
> 
> thanks for all the amazing comments xxx I love you all :)

“That was okay” Zelda was whispering to Link who was standing just behind her “wasn’t it?” He didn’t answer, and she peered around looking to Link who had tightened his lips and looked slightly uneasy. She wanted to stop, but Link pushed her forward, making her continue  
“Let’s not make it worse…” 

Worse? What did he mean worse? 

“I don’t understand – it was fine?”  
Link laughed through his nose and moved his hands from her  
“Claree was staring at us continuously – she almost spilt her porridge over her lap.”  
Zelda continued to walk but had slowed her pace so he could keep talking  
“I have never seen Rola at breakfast, nor Trissa – and even though they were trying to feign innocence I could see them dart there gazes over to you, and to me” Link shook his head “I would have thought better from Trissa…” he muttered. 

“I thought they were trying to be polite…?” Zelda started to think back to what had happened – trying to make sense of what Link was saying. She could not tell anything was amiss. 

“That’s because you can be… somewhat oblivious to what is going on around you” Zelda spun around and scowled at Link who came to a halt.  
“No, I’m not!!” her voice was raised, and Link swiftly stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder and turning her to push her to the centre of the village. 

“Yes, you are” he whispered into her ear, moving his hand from her arm and stepping backwards, standing a respectable distance from her. 

“Your Highness, Master Link” Dorian interrupted the thousands of things that Zelda wanted to say to Link, and she smiled as if nothing had happened.  
“Good morning, Dorian.”  
She watched both Dorian and Cado and this time she thought she could see the looks they were giving them – but she wasn’t sure. Link was darting his eyes from Cado to Dorian – his face remained entirely emotionless. 

“Did you enjoy breakfast?” Dorian looked at her with a strange look and Zelda furrowed her brow – Link immediately placed his hand on her lower back.  
“Impa and Purah will be expecting us.” Link was ushering her towards the stairs, and she almost stumbled. She could see Cado staring at Link’s hand, and he quickly moved it to her upper back. 

“We’ll see you later, Your Highness” Dorian waved to her and then moved over to Cado starting to whisper.  
Now, this she could see, and she glanced at Link “Do you mean that?”  
“Yes.” He sighed deeply but didn’t look to the two guards “that is exactly what I mean…” 

Impa appeared to be sleeping once they walked in, and both of them stopped. It was likely too early for them to be here.  
“Maybe we should just…” Zelda whispered, and then Purah appeared out of nowhere – her sing-song voice rang in their ears “It is so good to see you!”  
Immediately Impa’s eyes flew open at the sound of Purah’s voice, and she looked at her with some disdain. Zelda knew that Impa loved her sister – but it was like having another child in the house. In fact, it was exactly like that.  
Paya had also appeared from the room where most of the books, papers and tomes were accumulated – and she looked exhausted. 

“I’m sorry to wake you all so early…” Zelda felt bad. Impa had unmistakably been sleeping, and Paya looked drained.  
In contrast, Purah was just a bundle of energy and didn’t seem to stop at any point. 

“Of course, you haven’t. Come – come, we have something to show you” Zelda glanced to Link who shrugged his shoulders. He was a good few metres away and had his hands behind his back much as he should do when with the Princess. 

“Come on, we have no time to waste!” Purah was shouting from the room, and Zelda snapped out of her thoughts, quickly moving over to where she was.  
Link was shadowing her, and she could see Paya and Link talking, both of them with a smile. She didn’t know what they were talking about – and she knew he had told her that there was nothing between them – but still, she felt jealousy.  
But then, having somebody in her life that made her feel all of those emotions made her happy – even if some of them weren’t quite so enjoyable. 

Zelda had moved into the room and noted that it looked even more untidy than it had done before, which was quite a feat. Some of the papers looked damaged, and it made her heart hurt – these were valuable manuscripts and should not just be tossed around like that. 

But clearly, Purah had different ideas as she seemed to have just disappeared under some of the books, rustling around for something “It’s here… I know it’s here” she was muttering, occasionally throwing a few papers around and Zelda clenched her jaw and held her hand to her chest. 

Those wonderful manuscripts. 

“Would you please stop, Purah. The papers are here – we laid them out yesterday…” Impa had appeared at the door, leaning over her stick and slowly shuffling into the room.  
Zelda was immediately by her side and started to help her – finding her something to sit on. 

As she placed her on one of the chairs, she worried how weary Impa was starting to look. 

Then Purah emerged from somewhere that Zelda was not expecting and she staggered backwards but was caught by Link who had already anticipated what was going to happen.  
Zelda felt the heat coming up into her face and briefly glanced at Link before he placed her back on her feet and then moved backwards. 

For a moment, all of them paused. Purah and Impa were staring at each other and Zelda started to feel awkward. Link however just stayed as he was, silent, hands behind his back and his face entirely emotionless. Sometimes she envied his ability to remain so calm in these situations – or at least look like he was calm. 

“Your Highness” Impa started, and Zelda immediately focussed on her “Purah, Paya, and I know. There are no windows. So please, stop trying to keep up this charade. It is quite frankly exhausting for you and for us.”  
Zelda’s heart started to race furiously as she was looked to Impa and then Purah. 

The clinking of a tea tray made them all turn as Paya stood looking at them all. Then she smiled “Tea anybody?” 

Zelda stood there in absolute amazement before Link walked up to her and whispered into her ear “I told you.”  
His hand then moved to her lower back, and it stayed there.  
It was comforting knowing he was here but still felt awkward in front of all of these people. Well. These three people at the very least. 

“Claree is a chatterbox. The kiss that you shared last night would have been enough for the village to stay saturated in gossip for the next few months” Impa’s voice sounded annoyed, and Purah giggled. Zelda could feel her blush spreading down her chest. It was she who had kissed him, and now she was worried about something else. Had they heard them? 

Oh, goddesses please don’t say they had.  
But nothing else was said, and Purah and Impa went back to work.  
Paya smiled and handed Zelda a cup of tea “It will help wake you up.”  
Zelda brought herself out of her thoughts and took the cup from Paya before she finally managed to speak “Thank you, Paya.”  
“Your Welcome” Payas voice was happy and cheerful and then she placed another cup into Link’s hand, and she saw her gaze linger a little longer than it should have. 

“Zelda, Link – come and see. We have managed to find something.”  
Zelda flexed a little in surprise and then pulled her gaze away from Paya and moved over to the tables. She went to study the papers, but Purah pushed her away slightly “The tea – be careful with the tea.” 

This was surprising to Zelda – they were happy to throw around various papers so these manuscripts must have been valuable. 

“We have found plans for the castle. From long before you were born – and even I was born” Impa spoke with a croaky voice, and Zelda wanted to move towards the papers, but Link first took the cup from her hand.  
Purah was moving the papers around – showing her the plans from the castle ranging over thousands of years. The castle had grown significantly over those years until they finally reached the most recent builds.

“Here. There is a room here. And then here” Purah was speaking, seemingly not even taking a breath in “there isn’t.” she pointed at the paper. “It seems to be around the time that King Ramall was reigning.” 

Zelda could feel herself frowning “Are you saying that is where that room is you are speaking about? Where this mirror is?” she gazed up to Purah  
“It’s the best we have, Your Highness” there was a shrug from Purah – clearly, they had not been able to find anything else. 

Link was peering over to the papers and frowned.  
“Link – do you think there is anything down there?” Purah spoke and stared at him. Link seemed to think about it but then shrugged his shoulders “If there is I can’t remember it. I never ventured down that far into the castle.” There was a brief pause before he spoke again “it looks like it’s the cell block. Surely it would be reasonable that it could have just been destroyed…?” 

Zelda was surprised by how much Link was talking, and she stared at him. Usually, he would have been Monosyllabic. But now - now he was having a full conversation with them. And he sounded knowledgeable about what he was saying. 

But then – he would be. All Zelda seemed to be good for was politics and simple archery.  
The world in which she now was was nothing of what it was before the Calamity. She was trying to catch up - but this was a world that Link was a master of. 

“Both Purah and I feel this is the only lead to go on.” Zelda looked back to the papers and the Impa continued “I feel it would be best if Link goes alone.”  
“No.” Link had answered before Zelda had even taken a breath in and she stared at him. He never would have spoken in front of a Princess like this. But then, he also wouldn’t have done to a Princess what he did last night. And this morning. 

Zelda felt herself blushing and covered it by grabbing the tea from Link and taking a large sip of the bitter liquid. It burnt her tongue, but she didn’t want people to see her. 

“I can’t go alone. The Princess is the only one that recognises the reflections.”  
Impa, Purah and Paya all looked at each other with the same befuddlement before Purah spoke.  
“Impa told me there was a black creature that attacked you. Surely you would be able to identify that” Purah gave a little giggle and Link frowned, briefly looking to Zelda for some support. Finally, she took the cup away from her mouth – though she was still blushing – and tried to offer an explanation. It would appear that Link was just as curious as the others in the room. 

“The eyes” Zelda started looking at Link and then to the others in the room “They are… I don’t know how to describe them. I feel them more than I see them. There is despair, loneliness, fear…” she dropped her gaze “I suppose they would be described as black. As if everything inside of those… creatures… was just black.” 

All of them stood in silence.  
“I can’t describe it any differently…” she muttered and gripped the cup in her hand firmly with both hands, waiting for somebody else to say something. 

“Well. That puts us in a difficult situation then…” Purah muttered and pulled the papers back into alignment “If Zelda needs to go with you, Link, then it will surely slow your progress…”  
Zelda opened her mouth to say something, but Link cut her off “She won’t. She is far more adept out there than you would think” 

Purah cocked her head and then smiled “well – from a scholar to a battle-hardened warrior” she pushed her glasses up and beamed at them.  
“I… I would hardly call myself that” Zelda dropped her gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed. 

“Zelda comes with me.” Link moved closer to her – his voice was firm and was not going to be argued with. Impa looked at him and then nodded.

“Very well.” Zelda was sure she could see Impa smile “Then let us prepare how we will get you to this room...” 

\--

It was early evening when Zelda and Link finally were able to come away. Instead of going back to the villagers Link had grabbed Zelda’s hand to take her up to the Ta’Loh Naeg shrine.  
Zelda had noticed the other villagers stare at them and whisper amongst themselves – she thought that Claree would almost implode at seeing them both like this.  
As they walked beyond the Shrine, up a small hill, Link finally sat down on the grass and took a deep breath out. 

“I’m sorry. I just needed to get out.” Link murmured, leaning back onto his hands.  
She said nothing to this and then looked out over the Telta Lake and sighed deeply. 

“It is beautiful up here isn’t it…” Zelda couldn’t help but smile. The sun was setting with beautiful hues of orange and crimson covering the sky.  
Some rustling came from behind her, and she turned, looking to Link who was unpacking some food. Clearly, he was not interested in the view and far more interested in his stomach. 

He stopped and peered upwards with a quizzical expression then slowly shrugged his shoulders.  
Really, she shouldn’t have been surprised.  
“You are awful, Link…” 

Shaking her head, Zelda sat down next to him, brushing against his thigh and then pulled her legs up towards her. She was surprised by the amount and quality of food that Link had brought up the hillside. She took an apple which Link quickly replaced with some bread and cheese, taking the apple and biting into it “You’ll need the energy for tomorrow, your Highness” he spoke with his mouth full. 

_Or maybe for tonight…?_

She knew she was blushing, but thankfully the golden light of the setting sun and Link’s fixation on the food, rather than her meant he didn’t even notice.  
When Purah and Impa suggested they stay another night Zelda was ecstatic but had to try her very best not to show it. 

“I thought it better to get away from everybody for this evening.” It was difficult to tell what he was saying as he was almost continuously piling food into his mouth. But she knew him well enough to be able to decipher his speech. 

Looking at the various food that Link had brought up, Zelda saw a small amount of cooked fish, and she couldn’t help but smile.  
“Do you remember the last time we had fish… with the potatoes?” 

Only Link would be able to memorise every meal they had in the past, and he nodded “I remember” he stopped eating which was a surprise to Zelda and she saw him dart his gaze over to her before looking out to the Kingdom of Hyrule.  
“It’s been a strange thing – hasn’t it?” 

Zelda furrowed her brow not entirely sure what he was talking about.  
“What do you mean?”  
“Us” Link did not move his gaze away from the landscape. “The memories that make me the happiest are the ones with you.” His voice started to trail off, and he had that distant far-off look that he used to have so frequently. Zelda turned her head slightly to look at him. 

There was a long pause before Link spoke again, looking out into the distance “, but of all the good memories I have of you… I can also remember those last few hours. I can remember the Calamity. Us running, me gripping your hand” he sat up and pulled up one knee, resting his arm on it, shifting uncomfortably.  
“It was muddy… and wet. And I lost my grip. I think that was the last time we held hands…” Link looked to his own palm as if he was studying it for some sort of imperfection – something that would have made him lose his grip on her. 

Zelda was scrutinising him trying to see anything that could give her some sort of inkling of what he was thinking. Then he gave out a small huff, it sounded like a laugh “It’s a strange thing to think about – that this is one of the things I remember so well.” He sighed deeply – now lost in thought. She didn’t want to interrupt him, so she went to place her hand over his. 

“I can’t remember much about anyone else. A few memories of the guard being particularly spiteful. My father constantly scowling at me, belittling me regarding my training – wanting more and more from me but then still hating me for it.”  
Now Zelda piped up “Your father was proud of you.”  
Link frowned and looked at her. She had never realised that is what Link remembered of his father. In fact – it was the first time he had spoken about him. 

“My father spoke to yours once – after you had been chosen. He was incredibly proud of you Link… I just don’t think he was very good at showing it…”  
Link chuckled “no, he wasn’t.” he looked away again “But thank you for telling me that.” although she was convinced he didn’t believe her she decided not to say anything else, placing her head onto his shoulder and looking out to the lake far below them. 

The sun was now disappearing from the horizon – the bright pinks and oranges starting to give way to the night sky. It looked so beautiful – the black velvet sky was now beginning to fill with stars, gradually appearing as the moon started to rise. All they could hear now was the rush of the wind through the grass and the chirping of crickets. 

“When Impa gave me the Sheikah slate, and I saw our memories – I just imagined that it what I was like. Silent and stoic.” It was a while until Link spoke again, but Zelda just kept her head on his shoulder waiting for him to say something else. “I may as well have been my drill officer… But I suppose that is what everyone wanted me to be” Link relaxed his shoulders now and sighed. 

“But remembering it all now, I can see that wasn’t true. If I were to look at all of those memories now – I would likely see that I was not quite as apathetic as I thought.”  
Not wanting to interrupt his train of thought Zelda just gripped his hand tightly. 

“Do you know what my father said when I was assigned to you?” Zelda looked to him out of the corner of her eyes and saw him with his head dropped, but with a smile on his face.  
“He said I should not talk to you as it was ‘inappropriate,” 

He smirked and looked over to her “I am certain what I did last night was more than just inappropriate…”

Zelda couldn’t help but smile “And this morning…” in a gesture which surprised even her she went to grip his tunic and pulled him towards her.  
Link raised his eyebrows – seemingly surprised at her boldness. However, he didn’t stop her, instead moving into her more  
“And this morning…” he nodded. 

Their lips were nearly touching now, and Zelda spoke very softly “And what about tonight…?” the butterflies in her stomach had turned into that delicious heat again. She had already started to relax back, drawing him with her. 

Link smirked as he slowly settled her onto the soft grass, gripping the hand which was on his shirt and moving it to one side.  
Her heart was thundering in her chest as he moved over her, leaning on his elbow so he could place his other hand just under her ear holding her there gently.  
“And tonight…” he brushed against her nose and then with torturously slow movements he placed a gentle kiss onto her lips. 

As Zelda went to place her arms around his neck, she realised that she was trembling. His warm lips were addictive to her, and she pulled him in by the back of his neck.  
But Link clearly had more restraint than her, and he pulled away – sitting on his knees and taking a moment to try and calm down, adjusting himself and looking anywhere but to her. 

Zelda felt similarly, and she noted how even this brief interaction made her feel breathless.  
It was as if Link now knew all of the things that turned her on and how to use them against her. Although, maybe not against her as such.  
She placed her hand on her stomach, forcing herself to calm her breathing and reduce her heart rate. 

Now she could feel the damp of the grass starting to seep through her top, and she had to sit herself up – not wanting to chance anything as they were under deep suspicion by the rest of the village already. And Claree would have been quick to share the information about the hand holding. 

“You are my sweetest downfall, Zelda” he turned and sat back on the floor, sighing deeply. Zelda couldn’t help but smile – both at that statement and the fact he called her by her first name, not ‘Your Highness’.

“Can’t we just tell them…?” this was a pointless question as she already knew the answer.  
“I can’t believe I have to be the voice of reason here… but we can’t” Link looked uncomfortable at the suggestion – once again torn between the two roles he had. However, Zelda persisted. For what reason, she didn’t know.  
“But why not? This is the way it was, and this is the way it should be. If this all hadn’t happened, if we had defeated the Calamity the first time - then I am sure we would have announced our courtship not long after...”  
Link smirked, “I am sure your father would have been thrilled about that…” 

“Then we could have run away together.” She moved her hand over his “There would be no more danger to Hyrule, no more things that would tether us to the Kingdom.”  
Link sighed and dropped his gaze, so Zelda moved closer to him “If you truly remember us, you know that just as well as I do…”  
A piece of his hair had fallen into his face, and Zelda brushed it away, tucking it behind his ear. 

“I know…” he muttered “But we are trying to rebuild the Kingdom… so we are again tethered to whatever it is that Hyrule needs. Especially with everything that is going on…”  
“Then, I want to do it together.” Zelda stared at him now, but there was no eye contact from him. 

“We will do it together, your Highness.” Link looked to the sky with a deep sigh; however, his voice was now confident and firm.  
“But you need to be seen a certain way in the Kingdom. And for the moment that is not with me.” As he looked at her, she could see some sadness in his eyes.  
She had a suspicion he wanted to tell them – but his role as her protector was still there. This was not something he would compromise on. Not yet.  
“But I’ll be here. I promise.” He turned to her and moved his hand just under her ear, brushing over her cheek.  
Zelda couldn’t help but think about the assurance he had made to her back then, and she looked downwards, bowing her head “You promised me that before” her voice trailed off. 

“I know.” Link tilted his head downwards, trying to catch her eye “And I’m still here…”  
Zelda couldn’t help but pull one of the corners of her lips upwards, and she looked at him.  
“You are. I’m sorry…” her eyes looked up to Link, and she saw him smiling.  
“After all of this… it’s still you, Zelda. It always will be…” he leaned into her slightly more, and Zelda felt her heart skip a beat. 

“I love you…” she managed to speak those words quietly  
“and I you…” Link looked into her eyes and then finally pressed his lips against hers.  
She melted into the kiss, placing her hand above his, closing her eyes. 

She had never felt so contented in her life. Whatever happened, she had him. And that was all she needed.


	29. I Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are alone once more but the weight of what is going to happen after is hanging over them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what a few weeks I have had!!  
> I am SO sorry for not updating.  
> Basically - my blood results were NOT good when I had them for my next lot of Chemo and they have had to reduce the dose.
> 
> I am so worried that it will mean I won't go to a con at the end of August in the US (I'm UK based) 
> 
> So fingers crossed for stable bloods :) 
> 
> Also - I was going to publish but then my bloody computer fucked up and I needed to get that to the repair shop 
> 
> So I think that's my bla.  
> Sorry. 
> 
> I have already started the next chapter so very hopeful it will come out shortly 
> 
> xxx

They had tried so hard to stay away from the small gathering by Trissa’s grocery shop but to no avail. Purah and Trissa had beckoned Zelda over to them, and Link released her hand as soon as they were spotted. Link was surprised and slightly disappointed when he realised that people were still around at this time of night – he had hoped to retreat to their room with no one seeing them. 

Zelda turned to Link “Just for a few moments…” she whispered and placed a hand on his chest, gripping his tunic slightly “Sorry…” it was apparent she did not want to go either, and he had this thought of just ignoring Purah and Trissa and leaving anyway.  
“Go…” Link spoke softly, moving his hand over hers and releasing his shirt but he couldn’t stop his lips going to touch her palm softly. 

Zelda blushed at his gesture, still holding her hand to his lips – staring at him. It was so difficult to resist just kissing her – but he had already overstepped his role as her guard. But they would be alone soon enough.

Link released her hand, placing it to her side “we can’t stay here forever…” he whispered and saw Zelda biting the inside of her lip. But he had his role – she had hers. “Go” his voice was slightly firmer now, and Zelda pulled her gaze from him, turning to look to Trissa and Purah. She sighed deeply and then smiled, moving over to them both. 

Before Link could even consider following her Claree was suddenly in his face with no respect for personal space, causing Link to stagger backwards.  
How on earth was she able to sneak up on him like this? It would appear her Sheikah Lineage seemed to be more pronounced than he thought. 

“That was a long goodbye” Claree smiled  
“Good evening, Claree” ignoring her question he wanted to brush her aside but she immediately came back into his view.  
“Claree, I need to get to the Princess” he was now feeling wary of her intentions and cocked his head.  
“Have you heard the rumours?”  
So, this was not going to stop with that one question.  
“No” he spoke calmly, suspecting that this was to do with Zelda and himself.  
“Well,” Claree spoke, moving closer to him, Link moving backwards at the same time. “Traysi has written something about the Gerudo Town.” 

It would appear that Zelda’s suspicion about the Gerudo knowing had already spread to Kakariko village. He was surprised – they had barely left the town.  
But on the outside, he stayed calm, placing his hands behind his back and waiting for her to continue. 

“She said she heard _lustful_ ” she emphasised this word specifically “shouts and screams in the town” He could feel her looking him up and down, but Link was not sure for what.

“Did you hear anything? Did Zelda hear anything? I know you only just returned from the town.” The gaze he gave her unnerved Link – the intensity of it and the way he could almost see the cogs turning in her mind. Even though he had said practically nothing, it would appear that she was making assumptions based on his behaviour to the questions, regardless of what he answered. 

“No” Link stated blankly, making sure there was no emotion in his voice. His stoic-nature was finally starting to benefit him. Claree looked disappointed but quickly found her ground, this time going down a different route. 

“You were holding hands when you went up to the shrine” this was getting tiresome to Link, as well as slightly worrying so he darted his gaze over to Zelda who was not paying attention – drinking tea with the other two women.  
“I didn’t realise you had a relationship like that.” Claree turned her head and saw him looking at Zelda “You like her, don’t you?” 

Link’s gaze fell back onto Claree. There was far more than ‘like’ there, but he needed to button up about it all, which was becoming more and more difficult due to her constant questioning. She was trying to trip him up. 

“You were up there quite a while” she grinned “were you trying to avoid us?”  
“We were discussing the plans that Impa had made for us” it was the first thing that came to his mind and he hoped very much that would keep her quiet although he doubted it. 

“Link” Link spun around as he heard her voice – as sweet as it ever was. Especially when she was making the questioning from Claree finally stop.  
She gave Claree a brief smile and then looked to Link “Can you take me to bed?” Link knew what this would spark, and he saw Claree’s face light up, and Zelda looked mortified at what she had said.  
All Link could do was relax his shoulders in defeat.  
“I mean, to my room.” But this was a mistake she would not be able to cover up and correct. 

Zelda blushed furiously, even in this light.  
“well – if you are going to your room, Your highness, I should leave as well” Claree placed her hands together and bowed deeply “Goodnight!” she almost skipped back to where she was staying. 

Link watched her until she was finally out of the site of them and he grumbled “well, that went well…” he cast a glance over to Zelda who tightened her lips.  
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you with Claree. Or her with you…” 

A shrug was the only thing that Link could muster as he looked to where Claree had left. The lights were still on, and she was likely scribbling down everything that had been said – with her added flourishing touches. Then he felt Zelda gripping his hand and moving in front of him – he observed her, making sure she wasn’t going to do anything which would implicate them in anything else. 

But it would seem that this was precisely what she wanted to do, and she went to place her hand over his shoulder which Link quickly grabbed and pulled away “Your Highness, not here.” 

All she did was press herself into him, and Link took a deep breath in, trying to calm himself. His stoic demeanour was all well and good – but he seemed to crumble under Zelda’s feminine charms.  
“Link…” even her voice could make him relent to anything she wanted. But she would never know that. 

“Your Highness, please.” Furrowing his brow, he darted his glance around to anyone else – but Trissa had left and Purah only past a fleeting glimpse to them before she retired back to the house she was sharing with Impa and Paya. 

“No one will see” she whispered moving into him, brushing against his nose and Link did not feel he could resist her. However, he tried once more.  
“I told you before that-“  
“And I disagreed” she interrupted and immediately planted a kiss onto his lips, placing her hand around his neck to make sure he couldn’t move away.  
Her warm lips where enough for him to relax into that kiss, pulling her closer, which caused Zelda to smile into the kiss – she knew she had defeated him. 

Finally, Zelda drew away, but still placed her forehead to his – her gaze was lustful, and Link sighed deeply. That look had been in her eyes before when she had asked him about being with her tonight, and he found his heart beating faster and something stirring between his legs. 

“Take me to bed…” Zelda smiled, tracing her hand down Link’s throat and he was surprised by her boldness. But clearly, he was not going to refuse her.  
“you are getting quite pushy. Your Highness” Link pulled the corner of his lip upwards. There were some memories of her that he recalled she was pushy - even bossy on. That damn frog she found when they had been crawling through the grass was something he now recalled with ease. 

“Just, take me to bed.”  
Link smirked. This was not something he needed telling again. 

\--

They had just gotten into their room, and Zelda had already pulled Link into her by his tunic, kissing him passionately. It caused Link to widen his eyes as he almost fell into her, but he didn’t oppose her. Instead, he pushed her into the wall, holding her there and pulling her leg upwards, gripping her upper thigh. 

Initially, Zelda had wanted this all to be gentle – but the walk from the village to the inn had been far too long, and by the time she pulled him into her she felt an aching need to be with him.  
How she was going to deal with this outside of the village, she wasn’t entirely sure.  
But for the moment all she wanted was to feel him in her. Her hand moved down his legs to the bulge that was now there, and she pressed into it gently causing Link to growl into the kiss which he still didn’t release. Instead, he moved down her neck, trailing his tongue along it and nipping her by her collar bone. To that, Zelda pulled her breath in through her teeth sharply, gripping his shoulders tightly, digging into the skin. 

There were so many layers of clothes between them, and she wanted all of them off. Hastily she started to fumble with the harness which was strapped over Link’s chest. She learned quickly and managed to open it, pushing his sword off his back with a clatter.

As he moved back into her, she felt his hard, muscular chest press against her and she started to tug at his tunic desperately. Her heart was racing now, the heat from her stomach coursed through her entire body. With reluctance Link moved away from her, releasing her leg and pulling his tunic over his head – she watched him intently, seeing his muscles flex at his movements and she bit her lip. She was sure she would never tire of this. 

As Link caught her glance, it would appear he knew what she was thinking, and he threw his tunic to the floor with a smirk. He pressed back into her now with his solid chest, bracketing her head with his elbow and moving his other hand downwards to slip it under her top.  
His rough skin made Zelda gasp, and Link took the opportunity to mash his lips over hers, pushing his tongue into her mouth. With skilful hands he managed to pull her top off, only briefly pulling away to pull it over her head to throw it to the other clothes which they had discarded. 

Once he had, he stopped, moving his hands over her throat, down her shoulders, over her ribcage and to her waist. He sighed deeply and then looked back into her eyes before passionately kissing her.

As he moved into her, she could smell him – he had washed, and now she smelt that fresh grass and the pine. It felt like the outdoors – the thing which made him who he was. She trailed through his hair, wrapping her other hand over his shoulders. Their bruising kisses were making them both feel breathless, and suddenly Link lifted her up, her legs now wrapped around his torso. 

It would appear that Link felt the bed was too far away and he placed her onto the desk in the room which caused Zelda’s heart to race. She came away looking into his eyes, and she noticed he was panting just as she was. Slowly, while looking into her eyes, Link started to move his hand downwards, slipping it into her underwear and as he felt her aching clit, she sighed deeply, whimpering as he continued to rub her there, over and over before moving down to her opening and slipping a finger into her. 

Zelda whimpered which then turned into a moan. The hand which was placed over his shoulder pulled him in closer, but Link didn’t want to kiss her, he just wanted to watch her. 

“Do what you did yesterday” the words escaped her mouth before she could even think about them, but in her lust addled mind, she didn’t care. 

Link suddenly stopped, raising his eyebrows at her request but smirking “Really…?”  
Zelda swallowed but just nodded – wanting to feel him there. Wanting to feel his tongue there. 

Link didn’t hesitate, pulling his hand out from her underwear and kissing her once more before moving back to pull off her boots and then pulling her briefly off the table to pull down her leggings.  
He knelt down as he did this and then as she had stepped out of her underwear Link moved her back onto the desk, kissing her inner thigh moving up to her hip bone which he nibbled gently. 

He didn’t hesitate as he moved down again, glancing up to her one last time before he spread her gently and then Zelda felt that pleasurable, warm and wet sensation of his tongue moving over her.  
Although she wanted to watch him, she felt herself collapsing back onto the desk, moaning loudly and trying to muffle her moans by biting on her hand. How much she wished that she still had Link’s archers brace to bite on. 

Unsure what to do with her other hand she tried to grip the table, feeling splinters dig into her skin and moaning in earnest at his gentle licks, feeling him tasting her and gently moving down to her opening, slipping his tongue inside in a shallow rhythm. 

Zelda felt the heat in her stomach increasing, but she was trying her very best to stop herself from coming – she didn’t want this sensation to end.  
But as Link then started to swirl around the most sensitive area of her Zelda couldn’t stop herself from moving to his head, gripping his blond hair gently.  
The feel of him being there made her heart skip a beat, and as he moved the broadside of his tongue over her and then slowly started to suck on her clit, she gasped and then felt the waves of pleasure come over her.  
With her eyes closed, she felt tingling going through her fingers, and bright stars came across her vision. 

With a final taste of her Link then finally stood, pulling her towards him gently, so her bare mound was over the bulge in his pants. She could feel the wetness from her which was likely seeping through his trousers and then she heard him groan quietly. His hand moved up to her chest, pushing her downwards, skimming over her breasts and lower stomach where she had now rested her hand. 

With trembling movements, she managed to move up to him, kissing him passionately and moving down to his belt to start to unbuckle it. Zelda knew what she wanted to do – she wanted to make him feel like she did. Her anxiety about doing it was slightly offset by the fact she had read about it in the past - even then it had turned her on. 

Once she had his belt undone Link went to move into her, she stopped him, placing her hand onto his chest and pushing him back so she could stand in front of him. Link frowned ever so briefly as she kissed him again and then knelt down. 

He stared at her and Zelda was sure she could see his eyes widen and he swallowed. Pleased with this, with having this control, she started to tug his trousers off. 

“Zelda, you don’t have too…” he sounded nervous – something which she had never associated with him. Certainly not in this situation.  
“I know…” she smirked, “But I want too”. As she tugged Link’s trousers down she saw his erection bob up, a small amount of fluid had already formed at the tip. Now she had to swallow. She had never his manhood up close before. It was slightly larger than what she had seen in her books, and she bit the inside of her lip before she went to touch it.  
Immediately Link had to suppress a whine, and she looked up at him – his gaze was fixed on her, and he was slightly breathless. 

She looked down again, watching his hardness twitch before gripping him and starting to move her hand up and down enjoying hearing him groan quietly. Waiting for a little while she then found the courage to do what she wanted to, and she moved her mouth to him, kissing one side gently and then pulling him into her mouth.  
She could taste the saltiness of that small bead of fluid, and she liked it – licking over the tip gently. 

Link was now almost panting, and she cast a glance up to him seeing him watching her intently, both of his hands were now gripping the desk tightly. It sent a small shockwave through her, moving in between her legs. She hadn’t realised quite how much this would turn her on. 

Turning her attention back to him, she started to slowly move up and down, still holding the base of his hard-on with her hand. She let her tongue play over that small ridge on the underside of him, hearing Link moan in response.  
She increased her speed ever so slightly, wanting to see how he reacted – feeling his heavy, hard length sink into her mouth. 

Then she felt Link move his hand down to her head, gathering her hair in tender hands, holding it away from her Head. She knew he was watching her, and it made her heart skip a beat.  
Moving up again she tasted another bead of that salty fluid making her heart beat faster, and she tried to take him into her mouth as far as she could before moving back up, licking over the tip and then moving back down again. 

Link then stopped her, holding her shoulder gently. She looked up at him with confusion – did he not want her to finish…?  
“Let me be inside you” he was panting and looked flushed – in a way Zelda wanted to continue regardless, but Link had already pulled her up, desperately trying to pull the bottom of his clothing off completely and Zelda could hear him swearing under his breath as he finally pulled off his second boot. 

Then he gathered her into his arms, moving her over to the bed. He pressed her gently into the mattress as he covered her. The cotton sheets cooled her fevered skin, and she had only just noticed she was sweating. And as she looked up to Link, she settled her hand under his ear, seeing his own sweat trickle down her arm. By Hylia, she wanted him in her immediately. And Link was feeling the same impatience. He kissed her, this time far more gently than before, moving to her opening and he slowly guided himself into her. 

It was just as good as she imagined and she moaned loudly with Link no longer concerned about how much noise they were making – even he started to elicit deep, throaty moans from the back of his throat.  
He thrust into her once again, and Zelda felt herself being pressed into the rough cotton blanket – a sweaty hand was now gripping the sheets, the other moved over his shoulder, pulling him in for another kiss. 

His warm lips, his tongue exploring her and the sensation of him being in her made her realise she would not last much longer. Lifting her hips, she started to move into him, meeting his every thrust causing her to whimper and moan.

Using this opportunity Link grabbed her lower back and held her there, and Zelda felt her breath quivering – almost feeling like she wanted to sob for the most divine and pleasurable reasons as he hit her in just the right spot.  
“Oh Goddesses!” she moaned loudly as it all crashed down onto her, and she arched her back, pushing her hips up further. 

Feeling her clenching around him, Link finally reached climax and pulled her forcefully into him, thrusting one last time.  
They both collapsed onto the bed now, and Link tried to shift slightly, making sure she wouldn’t feel all of his weight over her. 

It took a good while until Link found the strength to move out of her completely, kissing her neck gently as he did so. Zelda was the first to speak “What are we going to do when we are out there…” she looked up to him and had a smirk on her face to which Link chuckled and shook his head.  
“I’m more than able to restrain myself…”  
Zelda sat upright a little, leaning over him, placing one of her hands over him “I would beg to differ from being in that dingy little cave…” 

Link pulled one of the corners of his mouth upwards but said nothing. He knew he would not feel in any way worried about this as the sword was now calling to him more loudly, and it caused a sense of unease in him. But he would not tell her that – she had enough to deal with. 

“You should go to sleep” he pushed her from him, pressing her into the mattress. Zelda smiled brushing a piece of hair out of his face.  
“You should sleep too… I worry when you will be able to after this…” there was some concern in her voice. 

“I’ll sleep if I can…” he knew he wouldn’t – the concern about tomorrow was now weighing on his mind. About where to go, what to do – how they would do it and at the same time protecting Zelda at all costs. 

“Link?” she brought him out of his thoughts, and she looked anxious “Don’t ever leave me again, will you?”  
Link furrowed his brow, worried about what was going through her mind – was there something specifically that troubled her?  
“I won’t” there was a suspicion this would not be enough but despite this Zelda relaxed into the pillows and he pulled a sheet over her.  
“I promise…” he kissed her forehead but realised she was already sleeping. What he had said now weighed on his mind – there was something. He knew it.


	30. You must

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paya and Link have a discussion early in the morning and Link is given a gift. 
> 
> Zelda has a difficult discussion with Impa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this is so late.   
> I am actually a cosplayer and am having REAL difficulties trying to prepare for the convention I am going to but I am not having my blood test until Tuesday (6 days before I fly to the US....)   
> Preparing for a Con you could not go too is one of the most depressing things in the world... 
> 
> so that has very much been occupying my mind. Sorry. 
> 
> Will try and get updates out a bit sooner. Hey - IF i go to the US I will have a 8hour flight - so can distract myself with writing ;) 
> 
> thanks all for your patience

Link had slipped out of bed early that morning. Sleep was far beyond him, and he found he didn’t want to rest anyway. The sword was now unsettling him – it was as if they had spent enough time in one place, and they needed to move on. Something in him knew that if they stayed any longer, the villagers would be at risk.

With difficulty Link had managed to get the horses over to one of the fences close to the inn – so he could still see anyone coming or going.  
Epona was excited, whinnying and huffing whereas Artax was utterly composed, and once he had tied them up by the fence, he set to graze, flicking his ears in contentment.

As Link tried to attach some of the blankets to Epona’s flank, she had turned around and was affectionately nibbling his hair. Intermittently Link had to push her away, but she would just come back to start again as soon as he went to pack up the bags again. 

“If you don’t stop it, we will never be able to leave…” he muttered, and Epona whinnied and huffed before starting to nibble his hair again. Link tried to push her away, but she was not having any of it.  
“Will you stop it Epona” his hair was now slightly damp, but he just ignored it – it was pointless anyway.

“is Epona alright?” he turned and saw Paya standing at the end of the fence.  
Even as Paya spoke, Epona still continued until he gently pushed her away, scratching her forehead affectionately.  
“She’s fine. Just excited to leave.” He then looked up to the sky – the sun had barely risen, and he looked to Impa’s house where he could see the light in the windows.  
“You’re up early, Paya?” he addressed her again with some confusion. 

“Well, Impa and Purah are already up. They are preparing for your journey.” Paya gave a small smile and then pulled out a parcel from behind her back.  
“I wanted to give you this.” Link furrowed his brow “, and I didn’t want to give it to you in front of the Princess.”  
This caused Link to tilt his head. Paya gestured to the parcel once more, and Link walked to her, dusting off his hands, wiping them on his top so as not to dirty anything in the small package he was being given.

“Thank you.” Getting gifts was a little unusual to him – at least when he was given something, it was because he had done something beneficial to other people.  
“You… can open it Link” Paya looked a little confused and also a little uneasy – constantly darting her gaze to the inn, worried that Zelda would appear at any point.

Why was he so worried about Zelda? 

He waited for a little while before he pulled apart the paper, seeing the distinctive blue of the champions immediately – although it was undoubtedly a little fainter than it had been when it was given to him by Impa nearly a year ago.

The tunic was pulled from the paper and Link looked it over, astounded at what Paya was able to do. The last time he saw it, it has been all but destroyed. Blood was smeared around the back, and there was a large tear over the chest. He was quite confident it would not be able to be repaired.

He turned it over, looking at the small patches that he had sewn on – Paya had taken the stitching apart and tried to make it a bit neater. It was clear that she was not as good as the Princess – even though he was aware that the tunic was made for him when she was not particularly fond of him. Likely on her fathers’ orders.

And suddenly he knew why Zelda may be upset. It was something that she made for him. He had traversed the wilderness gathering his strength to rescue her. It was something that bound them together.

“Is it okay?” Link glanced up, and by Paya’s expression, he could tell that he had tightened his lips – a little concerned about what Zelda would say.  
“I know I’m not a good as the Princess… But I tried my best” Paya tried to smile, but he could see her trembling a little – obviously anxious about what she had given him, probably wondering if it was a good idea or not.

“It’s wonderful, Paya. Thankyou”  
Link could see her shoulders relax a little, but she dropped her gaze, biting her lip.  
It was apparent that this had not yet put her mind at rest.  
Link went to say something encouraging, but Paya cut him off.

“You will be careful out there, won’t you?”  
Link was stunned into silence but then remembered what she had said to him not that long ago.

‘me loving you does not give me any rights to your heart.’ 

It did not give her rights to his heart. But similarly, he could not just ignore the feelings she had for him. He needed to be considerate of that and to try and handle her carefully – as Impa had told him.  
He tried his very best to smile “I will.”

There was a pregnant pause, and the longer it lasted, the more Link started to feel how he had in Paya’s room – worried that he had disappointed her. But his love had always been with Zelda – more so than ever.

He opened his mouth – wanting to tell her he was sorry for everything, but instead Paya moved over to him with two swift strides and embraced him – burying her face into his chest.

Link staggered backwards a little and then stared at her. This was not was he was expecting, and he held his hands out in surprise.  
“Come safely back to us…” Paya muffled and squeezed him a little tighter. Finally, Link placed his hands over her back as he could then feel tears seeping into his tunic. He felt awful - not wanting to disappoint anyone after they had all done much to support him. Paya especially – often she had made him food and packed him a satchel to travel when he returned to the village to recuperate.

He could see now how she had looked at him – these were emotions he was still not sure how to deal with.

He could feel Paya shaking a little, and he wondered if she was sobbing. It would appear she knew how dangerous it was for him to leave the village. Remembering how she had felt when he left the town to fight the Calamity she had done the same thing.  
Not that he would ever have been able to feel the emotion she was trying to express.  
His memory was that of being a little annoyed at how long she had wanted to keep him there – he could feel the sword on his back calling to him. Much as it was now.

But he didn’t want to push her away as he had done before. Instead, he held her close – waiting for her tears to subside.

Then Paya suddenly came away, smiling despite the fact she had tears in her eyes. This time he knew what she was trying to express and Link pulled one of the corners of his lips upwards.  
Paya then laughed a little, gesturing at his top while brushing a tear out of her eyes.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I would cry”  
Link looked downwards at his damp tunic – which was also particularly dirty. He had kept it to wear in situations like this.  
“I should probably apologise. I’m pretty certain my tunic did not smell particularly pleasant…”  
“It smelt of you” Paya seemed to speak before she realised what she had said, placing first one, then a second hand over her mouth.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” She placed her hands over her eyes with a deep blush covering her face.

Link had widened his eyes, not expecting that response, but he couldn’t help but feel his face soften.  
“Don’t worry Paya.” He wasn’t sure how else to respond, feeling slightly awkward himself.

The silence between them was palpable. But then a bird started to tweet, and the dawn chorus followed swiftly.  
This seemed to bring Paya out her thoughts, and she moved her hands to her sides again – but her blush remained.

“We have made breakfast for you, Link. You should wake Zelda. I believe you will need to leave shortly.”   
Link just nodded, remaining silent. Paya felt her gaze lingering on him a little longer than it should have and then she sighed “The Princess is lucky to have you.”  
Link knew of course that this was not just as her protector. But as something else.  
Paya must have felt watching them over the past few days trying. His demeanour had changed entirely from what it was when Zelda and Link first came to Kakariko. He smiled a lot more, and he knew that she had wanted to be the reason he smiled. But she had never shown it.

“I will see you in Impa’s house” Paya smiled again and then bowed. Link did the same – glancing up to her. But Paya had already turned, her hands gripped gently into fists – but Link had nothing to say. It would be difficult, but she needed to come to terms with those feelings alone. He would have to disappoint her, as what he had said before in his feverish haze.

She was a good friend, and he hoped very much that is what she would remain.

\--

Link walked into the room they were sharing at the inn, placing the champion’s tunic onto the desk and carefully studying the room, making sure nobody had entered since he had left.

Once he was satisfied his gaze fell onto Zelda who was wrapped in profound sleep, her lips slightly parted and most of her long hair spread over her face which caused Link to push one of the corners of his lips upwards. As he moved closer to her, he also noticed her soft whimpering sound as she exhaled – almost like a gentle snore. 

Slowly he sat on the mattress, causing it to dip, but still, Zelda didn’t move. He looked at her for a brief moment – she had the faintest freckles over her face, which he was sure nobody else would notice. But he did.  
He would quite happily have let her sleep – watching her. But he had done that all last night – and he knew they needed to leave.

Gently he started to push some of her hair out of her face. At that point Zelda began to grimace, drawing herself away from him “You smell of horse Link…” she opened one of her eyes and looked at him almost with disgust.

Link couldn’t help but chuckle “And you snore” he stood up, unbuckling his harness and placing it on the floor before he pulled off his tunic. As he turned, he saw Zelda gazing at his torso, and she needed a little while to suddenly look at him before averting her gaze with a gentle blush over her face.

“I don’t snore.” she started to stretch, arching her back and curling her toes. The sheet had fallen off her, and as she pulled her hands above her head, it fell away completely. To that Link needed to avert his own gaze going to wash in the basin, submerging his head entirely and then wiping over his face when he re-emerged.

He was grateful the water was cold as he splashed it around his neck, his eyes now closed.  
Then he could hear Zelda stand up and then tiptoed over to him, pressing her soft breasts against his back as she embraced him from behind.   
“Your hair is messy too…” she moved her hand upwards and then started to untangle it, pulling a few strands apart. Link was relatively sure this would not help anyway.  
And he felt something below start to stir, so he gently pushed her away “We need to get going, your Highness…”

Zelda pouted “so, you get undressed and then tell me we need to leave…”  
“Yes”  
“Well, that’s not fair.” She looked up to his hair and frowned “what did you do to it.”  
“Epona.” Link turned back to the basin again, starting to clean his upper body. 

“What do you mean?”  
“She nibbles my hair…” he muttered, and Zelda laughed  
“She does what?”  
“Get ready” Link grabbed a towel and placed a kiss onto her lips as he moved away to pick up some of his clothing to pack into a bag.

As he couldn’t hear Zelda moving, he turned and looked at her.  
She still had a light blush on her face, and Link furrowed his brow, standing again.  
“Are you okay?”  
“I… it’s. Yes, of course.” Zelda turned and trying to find some of her clothing which had been discarded the night before.

Suddenly Zelda stopped as she looked up stared at the tunic that Link had placed on the desk. She seemed to be a little lost for words before she spoke very softly “Did Paya do that for you…?” she looked over to Link who sighed.  
“Yes. She repaired it for me. We were likely slightly more fixated on other things…” Link placed his hands on his hips, waiting for another response. But instead, Zelda still continued to look at it, before she smiled “she did a good job…”  
The smile he gave was not entirely honest. He knew she was hurting.

He took a deep breath out and then moved over to her, wrapping his hands around her waist and then nuzzling her hair “Stop worrying. There is no one else for me…” he placed a kiss onto her shoulder. This pleased Zelda as she put her hand onto his chest  
“I know…” she placed her forehead against his “and you won’t leave me…?” her voice suddenly became grave, and Link furrowed his brow – surprised at the change of her tone.

But he knew he never would “I won’t.”  
As soon as he said that he could hear the sword press into his mind. But he would never let himself be pulled away from her. Never again.

\--

Link was preparing the horses again. Purah was standing next to him, speaking with her cheerful voice and pointing out things that she had wanted recovering from the destroyed castle. Even though both Zelda and Link knew that would not necessarily happen. And it looked very much as if Purah had found other things to add to the list.

“Zelda?” she jumped when she heard her name spoken. She recognised Impa’s voice before she had even turned to her.  
“I need to see you alone.” Impa’s voice was full of gravity and Zelda could feel her heart racing. Much as with Link she found it difficult to anticipate what Impa wanted to say.

Paya had accompanied her at first but took her to leave to go and speak to Link and Purah.

“Zelda, I need you to know something.” Impa looked sullen, and Zelda’s ears started to twitch. All of her attention was now directed at her – knowing full well that what she was going to say would be of importance. 

“I know you love him.” Zelda’s heart skipped a beat when Impa said that – always surprised at the fact she felt like this when people said things like this.  
“But you must understand that if anything happens if you are ever in a situation where it is your life or his – you need to realise that you are the leader of Hyrule and we need you. He will give his life willingly for you, Zelda.”   
Impa sighed deeply “Much as he did before.”

Zelda’s heart stopped for a few seconds, finding herself shocked at what Impa was saying. He had rescued her – it didn’t seem right that he would need to sacrifice himself yet again for her.  
“Impa, I can’t.”  
“You have to, Zelda. Your lineage will need to continue for years to come. Your mother had the power. You will need to pass it to your daughter when the time comes.”  
Impa looked quite calm, but Zelda’s mouth was agape, shocked at what she said to her.

“I don’t want. I mean – Link is.” She shook her head “No” she spoke loudly and Purah, Link and Paya stared at them.  
Impa gestured for them to continue, but Link still stared at her until Purah almost grabbed him by the collar to try and direct his attention to her list.  
“You must.” Zelda glared at Impa but then saw the sadness in her own eyes and immediately felt guilty for being so angry with her.

“I’m sorry” Zelda muttered  
“So am I Zelda. But you must understand.”  
Impa had grabbed Zelda’s hand, the other gripped her walking stick.  
“You must promise me this.”

Her heart was racing once again. Link had taken 100 years to rescue her, and she loved him for so much longer than that. Only now had she managed to let him feel the emotions he had before his memory was erased.  
How could Impa even suggest that?

“I hope very much this will not happen, Zelda. But you need to understand your role in this Kingdom. Please.” Impa squeezed her hand gently, and Zelda felt herself in total conflict. She had never broken a promise to Impa. But now? She waited a little while before she spoke.

“I promise…” she spoke quietly – worried Link would be able to hear it.  
“Good” Impa nodded and then released her hand. “You will need to start your journey – it will likely take at least two days to travel to the castle.”

Link had now moved over to them both – Purah and Paya following him.  
“You look after the Princess, Link” Impa and Link seemed to exchange knowing glances and Link nodded, placing his hands behind his back.  
Zelda looked at him out of the corner of her eye – what had Impa said to him? And when?

“I have told Link what I would like from the castle, Zelda” Purah piped up “Oh sister, are you sure there is nothing you want?”  
Impa sighed “I want them both to return safely.” She glanced at Purah, and she suddenly became reticent “Oh, yes. Well, of course, I want them to return safely as well.”  
Zelda tried to smile, but all she could think about was what Impa said to her. And that feeling in her mind was starting to become far more pressing. She knew what it was – but she would need to talk to Link about that when they were away from the village.


	31. Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaving Kakariko village and the protection it provided

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have had a very very eventful few weeks!! 
> 
> I got my blood results back and my Oncologist was able to send me to the convention!! Hurray!
> 
> Unfortunately I then had 6 days to get all of my costumes ready... and I only came back 2 days ago and have literally been in coffee shops (getting away from everything) to do some writing over those 2 days. 
> 
> So I apologise. But I am aware that my writing should not be interrupted by stupid blood results etc and I will be able to just chill with the writing again! 
> 
> So sorry again - I am still here! 
> 
> Hopefully update next week  
> Chemo starts on Tuesday. Boo.
> 
> Also - long chapter.

Link had managed to steer them past most of the enemies on the Sahasra Slope – stopping only to fight a few Bokoblins on horseback.  
As ever he had been insistent on keeping Zelda far away – even though she was itching to fight with her bow again.  
There were so few enemies compared to the east gate ruins, and she knew she would have been able to help. Or at least get some more practice in.  
But Link had been adamant on keeping her away – making her hide in the long grass until he came to retrieve her.

So much for equals.

They had a silent lunch and Zelda was sure Link knew how upset she was about all of this. But still Link didn’t speak – now packing some of the lunch items back into the saddlebags. Zelda huffed quite audibly waiting for Link to respond to that at least, but all he did was pause- dart his gaze to her and then continue what he was doing.

Now Zelda crossed her arms and furrowed her brow, and finally, Link spoke.  
“What’s the matter, Princess?” he buckled the bags shut and then looked at her with puzzlement – apparently not aware of why she was so upset.  
“You wouldn’t let me help!” her voice was more of a squeak, and she needed to try and curb her anger so she could at least sound a little sincerer.

“Help?” Link tilted his head and placed his hands on his hip – Zelda in return started to pout and then stormed off, leaving Link looking even more confused.  
She knew he would follow her and so she didn’t walk far into the woods – stopping at one of the clearings. She was not really sure why she was so angry. Before she would just have scolded Link where they had stopped for lunch and not even bothered running away.

Her mind went back to what Impa had said. About him sacrificing his life for her. About the fact that she would need to bear children. Why would Impa even think like that? What if she didn’t want to have children?

What if she didn’t want children with anyone but Link?

The thought came into her mind before she could even stop it and immediately she felt the heat coming up into her face. They were teenagers. And this was not something they should need to consider.

She had been taking a potion for some time before Link, and she had been together in that way. It was more to control her monthly bleed rather than anything else. But she had been glad she had. She didn’t want to be a mother yet.

But then – what if she never wanted to be a mother? What if she wanted to enjoy the life the Calamity nearly took from her? – if it hadn’t been for Link’s timely rescue, this would likely have been what would have happened.

“Your Highness.” Link walked up from behind her, standing at a respectable distance.  
Zelda did not turn to him – not quite sure what she was going to say to him yet. There was a long pause, and Link opened his mouth to speak, but Zelda spoke first.

“What did Impa say to you?” Zelda had her arms crossed, looking downwards – initially not wanting to look at Link.  
Again, silence. This time Zelda started to turn and saw Link standing there, his focus entirely on her, with a stern expression on his face. 

This time she turned her body, releasing her arms “Tell me Link…”  
She could see Link tightening his lips, and his ears were now twitching – it was only subtle. But she had known this gesture for over 100 years.  
“Please…” immediately she saw Link’s face soften and he took a deep breath in.

“Nothing I didn’t know.”  
Zelda furrowed her brow “What do you mean?”  
Link’s maintained his silence once again, and this caused Zelda to feel a small amount of anger come up in her. Why would he not tell her?

“What did she say to you?” Link’s voice was entirely calm as he spoke. Zelda was not expecting this response from him and was stunned into silence. 

Link continued to stare at her, and as she looked him in the eyes, she could see some sadness in them, and her facial expression went from anger to concern. Still unsure what to say to him.

“She just said what she said to you....” Zelda finally settled on this statement. But Link’s gaze remained fixed on her, and she felt the truth being pulled out of her. 

“She…” Zelda started and dropped her gaze “she told me if anything happens where only one of us could survive that…” she didn’t want to continue that sentence, and so started another “She says I need to pass my power on to my daughter” then Zelda clenched her jaw “I’m too young to even think about this. Why would she lay things like this into my lap?”

“You defeated the Calamity Zelda. I don’t think Impa saying something like that is unreasonable” the composure with which Link said that made Zelda dart her eye’s upwards. Did he not care?  
But then seeing his face, she knew he did.

“What if I don’t want any children if they are not with you.” The words flew from her lips without her express intention – but they could not be taken back. Mortified, she immediately placed both of her hands over her mouth.  
Link looked at her with a stunned expression, his eyes widening slightly and Zelda was sure she noticed a faint blush over his cheeks.

Goddesses, maybe he had never wanted to be with her for that long. Perhaps this was just a fling for him – just until they had finished their journey together. But in her heart, she knew it was more than just that.  
However, Link would never have thought about this before. By Hylia, she had never even thought about it. They lived in the now – enjoying themselves and surviving rather than actually contemplating what would happen beyond that. 

“Sorry Link, I didn’t mean to-“she briefly pulled her hands from her mouth to speak but then wasn’t sure how to continue to the sentence, knowing that what she said was true. Nobody else would even come close to him, and she felt a lump come up in her throat at the thought of losing him. Again.  
Her mind was running away with her, and she brought herself back into the now. In complete futility, she placed her hands back over her mouth, dropping her gaze and wanting the ground to swallow her up. 

But then she felt Link’s arms around her, and she flexed a little in surprise before relaxing, moving her hands from her face to around his waist, settling her head onto his chest. His heartbeat was soothing – the slow rhythm eased her troubled mind.  
Although she wanted an answer from him, she held her tongue, instead just burying her face further into his shoulder.

How many more of these would they be able to have? Was their time genuinely limited? Impa had never been wrong.

\--

It was nearly sunset, and no more had been said about their exchange in the woods.  
As they got closer to the castle, Link started to go in on himself. Not that he was ever particularly talkative out in the wild – but this time it was different. Zelda could feel it.

Intermittently he would still say something – usually single word answers to questions Zelda had asked. Even when she tried to ask open questions, somehow Link would manage to avoid them.  
But over the last two hours, silence prevailed.  
In those moments Zelda started to think back to what Link had said, or not said when they were in that clearing. How he had said what he did. Did he mean anything by it, or was she reading into things that were not there?

Her fingers were gripped tighter on Artax’s reigns, and it would seem that Link had noticed, passing a glance to her fingers and then up to her eyes.  
His bright blue eyes always amazed her, no matter how much she saw them – a wonderous icy colour which still took her breath away.  
But then that memory came into her mind. The memory where those eyes just glazed over and Link closed them for what would be 100 years.

“Okay?” Link tilted his head. Again, with the one-word responses and questions – it was infuriating her.  
“Okay…” she answered half-heartedly. Link could likely tell – but whatever was holding him back still would not allow him to speak anymore.  
Did he know something was going to come? Had Impa told him something else?

“When you spoke about what Impa said – you said you already knew” Zelda darted her gaze over to him, and noticed him staring straight ahead, his gaze fixed on nothing.  
“Hm,” Link just gave an affirmative noise but nothing else. Zelda was started to worry – even for him, this was not the way he had been. At the very least since Gerudo town.

“What was it?” Zelda persisted – needing an answer from him that were not just noises of approval, disapproval or single-word responses. She wanted him to say something else. Anything else.  
“Not now.” His voice showed utter calmness – even under Zelda’s intense gaze. Finally, she had enough and stopped Artax abruptly.

“You need to tell me, Link! You have been silent for hours.”  
Link still said nothing and Zelda was of a mind to either storm off with Artax or dismount the horse to potentially slap him. She wasn’t quite sure.  
“Is it because of what I said earlier?” her voice was breaking intermittently, trying to hold it all together as best she could.

Again he said nothing, just staring at Epona, shifting slightly as if he was uncomfortable with Zelda’s interrogation.

“Please, Link. Your silence is torturing me” she almost shouted and could feel tears welling up in her eyes. But she didn’t want to cry.

“She told me to protect you” Links voice remained composed, pulling his gaze away from her. “I am not scared of dying, Zelda” as Zelda heard that phrase her heart stopped for just a moment “But I worry who will protect you when I am gone.”  
Link’s voice became quieter as he spoke before he pressed his lips together tightly.

Zelda now had a dry mouth, processing what he had just been said. Was this what Impa told him? That he would die? Her heart pounded against her chest – angry at what Impa told him, but also worried her predictions could be genuine. 

 

Link shifted again, tightening his lips unable to even look at her.  
Zelda’s heart bled – wondering what Link had been thinking – thinking he was being led to the metaphorical sacrificial alter once again.

Slowly Zelda started to dismount Artax, sliding off the saddle before she walked over to Link, placing her hand onto his thigh – the other over Eponas shoulder.  
This time Zelda couldn’t speak – uncertain about what she could say to make him feel better. But there wasn’t anything – she was hurting the same way.

But maybe, none of this would happen. This was a possibility Zelda had to cling for, for her own sanity.

Zelda placed her forehead over Link’s thigh and closed her eyes – but almost immediately Link pushed her back so he could dismount Epona. Then he finally turned, pulling her in close and kissing her neck softly.  
The sensation of his lips touching her skin made her sigh.

“We’ll make camp here…” Link buried his face into her hair, taking a deep breath in before pulling away. He glanced at her briefly before turning to take Epona’s reigns over to one of the outcrops of trees where he wanted to set up.  
So many things were running through Zelda’s head – but she couldn’t manage to voice any of them. 

What would happen to Zelda if Link died? What about the other people who he had made relationships with. The Gerudo, The Zora, Purah, Impa and of course Paya. She had not met the Gorons yet – or the Rito. He wondered what sort of relationship he had with them – maybe she would never know. If he died – she would be alone as Link was when he awoke. But with the painful memory of him sacrificing himself for her once again – no memory loss, no nothing.

She shook herself out of those thoughts – this wouldn’t happen. This couldn’t happen. She took Artax’s reigns and pulled him over to the camp.

\--

Link was silent as he prepared the camp – since he left Kakariko village, something dark was hanging over him – and the closer he got to the castle – the worse it got.  
It was the reason that he had spoken so little to Zelda since they left.

He worried that she thought it was something else – that he was put off by the plans for their future, even though they were far too young to consider anything like this. But he did love her and Impa telling her something about bearing children that must have been difficult for her to comprehend. Even he found it challenging to think about.

He had wanted to say something about this all – something to calm her, reassure her. But the sword silenced him. 

Link suddenly felt something drop from his hand and he gazed at it. It was one of the tent pegs, and he hardly had the will to pick it back up again, instead staring at it intently.  
He heard Zelda moving over, and she kneeled, picking the peg up and passing it to him.

“Link, what’s wrong…” she moved onto her knees, sitting backwards onto her heels.  
Link flexed as she went to stroke his hairline and Zelda pulled her hand away.  
“Sorry…” her hands were placed onto her lap. All Link did was just stare at her out of the corner of his eyes.  
He could see her concerned expression and opened his mouth to say something but was once again silenced by something, not in his control.

Link sighed deeply now sitting on the floor, pulling his legs up and balancing his arms over his knees.

Zelda seemed to contemplate what she was going to do and then shifted over to him, crawling in between his legs, kneeling between them and then going to cup his face, settling herself onto her heels.  
“I’m sorry about what I said earlier…” her voice was almost a whisper and Link could hear the sadness in what she said.

“Don’t” he placed his hand over hers and glanced upwards seeing Zelda’s eyelashes filling with tears. He so wanted to kiss her, to reassure her. To let her know their connection was still there. But all he felt was a buffer – something which just stopped him from doing anything with her. All of this was happening in front of him – but not too him.

He was reminded of the memories Zelda had placed on the slate, how he had felt the same way. As if he just had no relationship to what was happening.

He moved his hand to Zelda’s waist, pulling her into him, feeling her warm breath tickle his lips.  
But the heat he usually felt in his stomach was not there.  
He just wanted, no, needed that connection with her. So he pressed his lips against hers, closing his eyes. 

In return, Zelda moved her hand to his shoulder and started to lean further into him, trying to push him back, but this was too much for him.  
He couldn’t be with her when he had no relation to what it meant.

He gently pushed her away again, standing up and Zelda sat there looking perplexed and almost a little angry.  
“What are you doing Link?” Zelda’s frustration was apparent. Coming that close to him and then being pushed away was difficult. He would probably have felt the same way.

“I don’t know” Link trailed through his hair, not looking at her. He wanted that strange buffer surrounding him to just disappear.  
“What is your pro-“Zelda was cut off as Link gestured her to be quiet, his sword was quickly pulled from its sheath and he moved back to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her up.

He darted his eyes around in the dark – following the shadows and shapes the fire cast onto the surfaces. The sky was cloudy, and no light came from the moon – just complete darkness. He turned again, the fire reflected in the blade and then saw it – his Reflection who had just wandered into their camp, its sword drawn and looking down his nose at them.

As Link looked at him, he noted he was slightly taller than he was and his sword was gripped in his right hand. The clothes were dark grey, and his hair looked silvery with a grey hat placed over it. The rest of the creature was black – a deep, shadowy black.

Zelda had placed her hand over her mouth – uncertain what she saw, just staring at it. Link still had her hand grasped in his, and he pulled her closer, his sword remaining in his left hand.

“What do you want.” Link spoke confidently, but all his RReflection did was move forward ever so slightly – the dark sword still gripped in his hand. There was no emotion in his face, and his red eyes unnerved Link.

“What do you-“he was cut off as the creature attacked and he had to release Zelda’s hand to grab the sword with his other hand, pushing it upwards to try and overpower him. But their strength was the same and their swords didn’t move until his Reflection moved away, turning and then bending his knees slightly waiting for him to attack. 

But Link knew if he attacked it would be pointless – whatever Link did to him he would counter in the same way he did. So instead Link just moved sideways – the Reflection doing the same. He was fighting himself – how would he be able to-

“Link!!” Zelda shouted and was grabbed from behind and pulled into the darkness. He spun around wanting to run to her, but now his RReflection attacked – pushing him over and going to swing his sword.

Link countered, just able to turn under him and as he was pushed to the ground, he kicked upwards, avoiding the swords attack.  
Scrambling upwards as his Reflection was on the floor, he ran into the darkness that Zelda was pulled into.  
He stopped once the campfire could not be seen and listened – his ears twitching, turning around slowly.

Then he heard muffled screaming, and he felt his heart burning at the sensation of Zelda being in danger. This time there was no buffer – this time, all he felt was fear at the fact that he wouldn’t be able to save her.  
Slowly he started to be able to see outlines of the trees as his eyes adjusted and as he listened out for the muffled screaming again – his heart was racing furiously. Then he heard something else, and he turned, clashing his sword with his Reflections.  
Now all he could see where the piercing red eyes in the darkness – and all he could rely on was his own attacks and how he countered them.

The creature came towards him again, his sword raised – But Link only saw his red eyes, glowing in the perfect dark.  
Suddenly Link ran towards the creature – causing him to rally before he dropped down in front of him, balancing himself with his arm before pulling himself up quickly and trying to hit his Reflection from behind.  
But of course it knew what to expect, and he turned, clashing the dark sword with Links.

Link cursed under his breath and then parried the attack, pushing his sword to one side.  
They both stood there again, and this time Link could partly outline his Reflections form.  
But his eyes were constantly darting around, trying to listen for Zelda.

His Reflection took advantage of that, running and the turning towards him, swinging his sword upwards and Link only just managed to bring his sword down in defence.  
He was not going to be able to focus on Zelda, as hard as it was.  
He needed to defeat the creature which was attacking him. Otherwise, he would be killed and then no one would be able to defend the Princess.

Link clenched his jaw, trying to outwit his partner which at the same time was trying to trick himself. They circled each other again, this time Link went in for an offensive manoeuvre which his Reflection easily parried, turning back into the circle as Link did.  
Then the Reflection went into an attack, causing Link to duck as he swung his sword over him. In return he kicked him in the abdomen, causing him to stumble back.

Then he heard a voice “Duck!” Link did as he was told – he recognised Zelda’s voice immediately and wondered how on earth she had gotten out of the situation she had found herself in.  
An arrow hissed past his head and hit his Reflection in the side of the chest, causing him to grip the wound. Link wondered now if he did experience pain.

But he had no time to think about that, instead taking the opportunity to attack himself, swinging his sword upwards before turning and slashing it downwards again.  
This time Zelda did not say anything, but he could see another arrow fire and impale his Reflection in the abdomen.

He grabbed his stomach, falling forwards and then cast an angry glance to Link before the red eye’s disappeared completely.  
Link stood there, waiting for something, waiting for it to come back.

But Zelda did not hesitate having dropped her bow almost immediately, running towards Link stumbling over some of the roots of the trees.  
In a trance Link dropped his sword and embraced her - suddenly aware that there was no more barrier. Nothing that seemed to be shielding him from her. 

The darkness in the sword was no longer there, and Link sighed deeply, pulling her in closer and lifting her off her feet. 

He nuzzled her hair, kissed her neck and inhaled her smell. The delicious scent of honey and flowers. It had barely been a day, but he missed it – he missed everything about her.  
As she pushed closer into him, he felt her body – the soft curves of her breasts, the small arch in her back, her waist, her hips. And that heat in his stomach returned – no longer buffered by anything.

“I missed you” he nuzzled into her neck unsure that Zelda would understand entirely, but he didn’t care.  
There were many things he needed to apologise for and explain to her. All those things he had been unable to voice. 

But not now. Now all he did was embrace her.


	32. The Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda finally descend into the castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all 
> 
> Sorry. This chemo is really hitting me hard. I've been having symptoms almost every day all the time. 
> 
> So - I have an option at the moment to end this quite soon (maybe 4 or 5 chapters) - or I can continue (Not sure how long that will be... who knows- haha) 
> 
> I really apologise for this being so late and me not being able to keep it up currently. Part of the fact is that I needed to finish my other (first) fiction. And that is pretty much done (1 more chapter). 
> 
> And the fact I have been feeling really unwell doesn't help. 
> 
> Anyway - thank you for being so patient with me x

“And you still can’t think where they were taking you…?” Link glanced up briefly before going back to the task at hand, gently wrapping around the soft crepe bandage around the wound on her palm and then tucking it in.  
“No” Zelda shook her head watching Link intently as he studied her other hand and then her torso and legs “I’m fine, Link” she gave him a smile and placed her hand onto his shoulder.  
Link looked a little frustrated – probably more at himself given the fact they had managed to have dinner without him even spotting the injury.

Link looked up once more before he slowly stood up, sitting next to her, his thigh brushing against hers as he stretched out. Since all of this, he was reluctant to leave her side in any way – but he had been quite insistent that whatever it was would not return. For now, at least.  
She had wondered how he had known but decided to hold her tongue.

“You did well” Links face was full of gentleness as he turned to her. It took a while to process what he had said – trying to work out what he was talking about.  
“With your bow.”  
“Oh”  
Zelda raised her eyebrows with that sudden realisation, and she felt her face being pulled into a smile.  
“Thank you.”  
Link pulled one of the corners of his lips upwards, brushing over her hairline before placing a gentle kiss onto her forehead. Reluctantly he then released her hand to start to make up her bed for the night.  
As soon as he moved away, she could feel the cold starting to seep into her and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her legs up closer.

“And you are sure it’s not coming back…?” her gaze once more shifted around the camp – seeing the shadows which danced across trees from the fire – now worried they could reach out and grab her at any time.

“It’s not.” Link was quite firm with this statement but despite this Zelda shifted closer to him. He glanced up, looking at her and then shook his head pulling a corner of his lips upwards “You need to trust me… It’s not coming back.”

“How do you know?” Zelda found herself asking the question she had not a few minutes ago been unwilling to ask.  
Link paused in his movements, having just erected the tent pole. Zelda stared at him intently, waiting for a different answer.  
“Because…” Link stopped speaking, now wanting to find another way to start his sentence “I just…”  
Finally, he shrugged “I just know.”

Now he continued what he was doing as if nothing had happened.  
“Could you not be a bit more specific…?” Zelda furrowed her brow and tightened her lips, letting him know the dissatisfaction with his answer. 

“Did I ever train you with a sword?”  
Zelda furrowed her brow at the change in topic and perked up.  
“A sword?”

“Yes. Did I?” Link finally turned to her brushing off his hands and blowing air into them to keep them warm.   
“No. Not really.” She could recall Link’s frustration when he was trying to teach her, and they had given up quite quickly.  
“I was much better with the bow…” she muttered, watching Link’s facial reaction. But his face remained stoic, and in the darkness of the camp, Zelda found it difficult to even see any nuances in the way he behaved.

He made no response to her statement and continued the rest of his task in silence. But she did feel this stillness was different from what it had been before. As if something had been lifted off his shoulders. She felt more at ease now, watching him place blankets into the tent – more than he usually would. It was going to be cold, and Zelda worried about him being out here on his own.

Finally, Link turned “Your Highness…” he gestured to the tent  
“Are you not staying in there with me…?” It seemed a little optimistic to think that was his intention – but it was cold outside.  
However, Link just shook his head.

Zelda sighed deeply  
“So… do I get a kiss at least…?”  
Link looked at her with a suspicious glance “I know where this is going.”  
“Where what is going…?” she tried to act innocent – but she knew very well what she wanted from him. Even though she was quite sure he wouldn’t satisfy that particular desire.

“One kiss. And then to bed.” Link tried to sound firm – pointing his finger upwards, signifying that it would just be that one kiss.  
Zelda just nodded, standing and then gently placing her arms around his neck. One hand now slipped beneath his tunic, feeling the warm skin underneath it. 

“Your Highness…” Link muttered, knowing very well what she wanted.  
“My hands are cold.”  
“well, it’s warm in the tent.” Link countered. He brushed over her hairline, tucking the soft curls he which fell into her face behind her ear.

“One kiss then…” One of Zelda’s hands was placed over his cheek, feeling his cold skin beneath hers. Link started to then lean into her, softly pressing his lips against hers. But Zelda wanted more than that moving her body against his. The nails from her hand grazed along the back of his spine.

Zelda could hear Link taking a deep breath in, wining slightly as he breathed out. This was the only encouragement she needed as she started to press her tongue against the seam of his lips.  
Link seemed hesitant but finally opened his mouth. His lips were cold, but as she felt his warm tongue slide into her mouth, Zelda started to whimper. 

The heat in her stomach started to move down between her legs, and she knew very well that if they were to continue this, there would be no willpower in the world that would be able to keep them apart.  
However, Link knew this as well, and he drew his lips away – their warm breath now hanging in the cold air.

“Bed now.” He pointed to the bed, and Zelda sighed deeply. 

Fine.

Zelda let herself be guided into the tent, sitting on the floor to take off her boots and her cloak.  
Link finally sat down on an old blanket, adjusting himself slightly and shifting before he went to pull on some gloves he had placed beside him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in…?” Zelda now started to feel slightly sorry for him, sitting out here in the cold. She had already wrapped herself in the warm, woollen blankets, but remained sitting up so she could watch him.  
Link just shook his head, not looking at her.  
“If I do, then nothing good will come of it…” Link smirked briefly and unbuckled his harness, pulling his Sword onto his lap. 

“I think it would…”  
“I KNOW you think it would…” Link chuckled, and Zelda finally needed to give in. He was not going to come into the tent – let alone make love to her. And she did know that was the wiser idea given what had happened before.

So, Zelda settled herself in for the night, still poking her head out of the tent slightly, so she could talk to him.  
“Why did you ask about the sword earlier…?” she was laying on her front, her shoulders slightly exposed and Link leaned over to cover her up.  
“I just had a thought.” Zelda helped him, pulling the blankets up a little, watching him intently

Silence prevailed, and finally, Zelda spoke once more  
“What was the thought?”  
Link had settled himself back, leaning on the tree and pulling the Master Sword out of the sheath.  
He waited a while, pulling the small, worn polishing cloth from his belt.

“It is difficult fighting myself.” Link spoke quietly “, but he knows nothing about you. Your fighting style…” Link then gave a humourless laugh through his nose “if you even have a fighting style with the Sword… no offence.” His eyes glanced briefly to her, making sure he hadn’t insulted her.

Zelda settled down, her arms now becoming uncomfortable and she crossed them, pacing the pillow over them before settling her head over it – only just able to look at Link now.  
She could feel the tiredness making her eyelids heavy and was struggling to stay awake.   
“None taken…” her yawn made Link place a hand onto her head  
“Go to sleep, your Highness…”

Zelda had already closed her eyes – she didn’t want to sleep. She wanted to be with Link, but her body felt differently, slowly drifting her into a dreamless slumber. They could talk about it tomorrow.

\--

 

They had left the horses just outside the ruins – knowing that trying to pull them between the rubble and boulders would be difficult.  
Since they arrived back in the castle, Zelda had been in a bit of a trance – looking over the destroyed castle.  
As they walked into the library, Zelda held her breath, clutching her chest. All of those memories of this room came flooding back to her – her mother teaching her to read. The countless hours she would spend at one of the desks studying.

It was usually late at night to avoid the watchful gaze of her father. And generally with Link guarding her.  
She looked over to him, watching him trace the books with his hand – seemingly looking for something.

Of course, he had no recollections of this. For him, it was just a room – for Zelda, it was a treasure trove of memories.  
She had been glad they hadn’t explored this room after she had been rescued. She didn’t want to reminisce – and even now it seemed too early.

“Link, what are you doing…?” Zelda held the bannister as she would have done back then but immediately recoiled when she noticed the spiderwebs dangling from the staircase.  
“I’m looking for something…” Link sounded deep in thought, having stopped and was starting to pull out some books – most of them dropped to the dusty floor.

Zelda felt outraged by this and walked over to him, wanting to stop him – but instead as Link pulled out a particular book she could hear some scraping of stone on stone.   
She and Link stepped back as a large panel from the bookcase opened. 

“We can get to the barracks and cells from here…” Link brushed off his hands “the other route is impassable…”  
Zelda peered down the stairs – watching them descend into the darkness. It looked as if a black, velvet curtain hung before them.   
“Have you been down there before…?” Zelda stepped back, weary at the shadows which felt like they could come out and grab her as they had before.  
“Yes. And don’t worry – there is light once we get to the barracks…” Link had stepped backwards and was already preparing torches, striking the flint over two large sticks he had found.

As the flames lit up, Zelda suddenly noticed how dark it had become. It must have been late afternoon, and the sun was already starting to set.  
“Do you think we should go on…?” Zelda would not admit it, but she was worried about descending into that blackness.

Link had stood, taking the sticks into one hand and looked down the stairs, shrugging.  
“We can camp up here…” Zelda could see him looking around the vast room, considering how exposed they would be, and she knew they needed to at least get into a more confined space.

“No, you’re right” she grasped one of the torches from Link’s hand noticing that she was trembling “We’ll go on until we find somewhere better to stay…” she was trying her very best to sound sincere but couldn’t help but notice her voice was a little higher pitched than she would have liked it to be.

If it hadn’t been for those shadows last night, she would have immediately led them down those stairs with no hesitation. But she could remember their desperate clinging as they pulled her back – to what she did not know. But she didn’t want to find out.

With a deep breath, Zelda gathered herself, but then Link went to hold her hand, not saying anything. He just looked at her with an encouraging expression.   
Zelda gripped his hand and then with trembling legs started to lead them downwards. Link trailing behind her at all times. 

Finally, they reached the bottom of the staircase and Zelda looked back, only just seeing the dim light of the library they had descended from. As she looked forward, there was only more darkness, and she moved closer to Link.

“Princess” Link brought Zelda back to attention “two doors down there is a room we can stay in… it has four walls which is more than can be said for most of the places down here…”  
He urged Zelda forward, still grasping her hand.

It was only a few metres to get to that room – but it may have well been a mile with all of the shadows she kept on seeing. The relief when she opened that door was palpable, but she held her breath until she saw there was nothing there. Just an old chest, a broken bunk bed and some old blankets.

She could see somebody had lit a fire in the past and when she turned to Link she saw him placing one of the torches onto the holder.  
“Have you been here before…?”  
Link just nodded, taking the torch from Zelda after he had barricaded the door with a large plank of wood. “A few times.”

Zelda looked to the burnt-out campfire and the thin, dirty sheets which were strewn around the room.  
As she looked closer, she could see some blood.

“I was trying to get to you. But every time I started to ascend up into the castle– the Guardians got me.” Link had clearly followed Zelda’s glance before he knelt down, placing the torch over the burnt-out fire and went to pull some wood from the old bed.

Zelda could remember that there used to be four beds in the barracks – the fact that only half of one was still present was a testament to the amount of time he had spent in that room.  
In pain, bleeding – all to get to her for reasons at the time he did not understand.

“Your Highness” Link had pulled out some fresh, woollen blankets from one of the chests. Well – blankets which were not quite as moth bitten as the ones in the room. 

“I’m sorry.” Zelda felt the words fall from her lips and Link frowned, looking visibly confused.  
“For what…?”  
“For you having to stay down here… for me”  
Link sighed, placing the blankets on the bed before he walked over to her, settling his hand just behind her neck and placing a kiss onto her forehead.  
“you’re here now…” Zelda felt Link lean into her, and she closed her eyes, waiting for that soft kiss which followed. 

Her hands moved over his chest, and as he started to wrap his hand around her waist, she began to run her own hands downwards, gently tugging at his tunic.  
Link came away gently, pulling her hands upwards again.  
Zelda felt her heart plummet “I’m sorry…” she pulled her hands away entirely, feeling like a small child who had been scolded.

Link just looked at her and tightened his lips. From looking at him, she knew that he wanted it as well – but not here and not now.  
The fire started to crack and hiss which bought them both to attention as Link then needed to control the flames, placing small rocks back to where they had been before.

Zelda turned, feeling embarrassed about what she had done – but it was difficult to resist that sensation he gave her when they were together. She craved it – that feeling, that heat that would build in her stomach and –  
She stopped herself from thinking about it – her heart was racing already and she turned to look at the dusty contents at the bottom of the chest from which Link had pulled the blankets.

She thought she saw something she recognised and knelt down, gently pushing a sheet to one side.  
And there it was – a Beret trimmed with gold, now slightly faded. The Royal Crest of Hyrule, only just visible. She moved the hat a little and saw the shirt and tabard which came with it. 

The Royal Guard Armour.

So many memories flooded back to her about how it used to be. Vividly she recalled Link having to wear it for special occasions, of which there were many after he was chosen by the SwordSword.

“What is that…?” Link looked up, raising his eyebrows “I found it in one of the other barracks. I wasn’t sure what the Uniform was for.” he shrugged his shoulders “wasn’t particularly suitable for wearing out in the wild.”   
Zelda felt her heart sink again – how could he not remember what it was.  
“It’s…” Zelda looked back over the tunic and then placed it in the chest again “It’s the royal guard armour. Something you used to wear. When you were made to…”  
Zelda pulled the corner of one of her lips upwards – fondly remembering how they had to dance together. Even if at the beginning she had certainly not wanted to.

Link, on the other hand, just knelt on the floor, staring at her- trying to find any sort of memory in his mind but then he shook his head.   
Zelda could almost feel the dejection at him not being able to remember any of it – but she smiled as much as she could “It’s okay. It’s not important.”

They remained silent, and Zelda gently brushed over the Uniform folded neatly in the chest, then she went to place the Beret in the large wooden box. But she stopped.   
“Dance with me” Zelda looked upwards, staring at him before she stood, still holding the Beret in her hand.

“Dance?” Link looked entirely perplexed. As far as he was concerned, he had never danced.  
“Yes. You used to be good at it. Maybe you don’t remember… but maybe your feet do…”  
She walked over to him and carefully placed the Beret on his head to which Link looked even more confused.

“Your Highness. We have no music. I wouldn’t even know how to-“  
“We don’t need music…” Zelda grasped his hands, placing one of them behind his back and then placing the other one palm to palm with hers, their arms at 90 degrees with Zelda standing beside him, facing the opposite way.  
“one and two, one and two…” she started to move, holding the imaginary dress she would have been wearing. But Link still looked puzzled.  
“Just watch me…” Zelda was not going to give up. Not yet.

Link let his gaze move downwards, watching her feet. It took a few moments, but then Zelda could see something in his eyes, and slowly Link started to move in the opposite direction to Zelda. They stayed that way, practising a simple step which Zelda had learned as a child and she smiled “I told you…”

Link looked upwards, slowly stopping their motions before turning to be in front of her. His hand was placed over her waist, and his palm moved slightly, so hers was resting on his.   
They waited for a little while, and Zelda felt a heat coming up into her face, this was not what she was expecting.

With gentle movements, Link started to guide Zelda into a dance. A waltz.  
This time Zelda had to look downwards – suddenly realising her dancing was not quite as good as his seemed to be.   
But with Link leading her she started to relax, feeling her rhythm settle into his.

They moved around the fire – their forms casting shadows onto the wall and as Zelda looked at them, she felt like it had been all those years ago.  
Suddenly Link moved her, twirling her outwards in a skilled movement and Zelda felt her feet becoming slightly tangled, but then Link pulled her back in again – a little closer than it had been for the dance and he gradually stopped.

Both of them were staring at each other now. Zelda could see the surprise in Link’s eyes at what had just happened, and he moved his hand, gripping hers now. Suddenly she realised there was more than just surprise as he loosened his grip on her, staring into the distance – his eyes almost glazing over. 

“Link…?” her arm moved down from the top of his shoulder to his arm “Are you okay?”  
Gently Link released her, starting to move backwards, stumbling slightly before he sat on the bed – his eyes still staring into space.  
“What’s wrong…?” Zelda’s voice was soft and full of concern, but she didn’t move.

“My Mother...” Link spoke calmly, his hands moved onto his lap, and he leant forward a little before he closed his eyes “she taught me that.”  
Zelda’s heart started to race, and she clenched her hands into loose fists by her side, unsure what to say to that statement. Should she apologise? Tell him how wonderful it was that he could remember something of his mother?  
But she decided that not to be appropriate and so gradually moved over to Link before settling herself next to him.

Link opened his eyes ever so slightly, looking over to her from the corner of his eyes and then closed them again, sighing deeply.  
Zelda felt awful. Perhaps if she hadn’t had made him dance, he would never have known.

She felt herself almost suffocating. The warmth of the fire, the silence in the room and the guilt of what she had done. Not just the fact that she had made Link recall that. But the fact that it was all her fault that he couldn’t remember any of it. 

Finally, Link pulled the Beret from his head, looking it over. 

“I can remember her face.” The Beret was gripped a little tighter.   
Zelda could see his eyes glazing over, unsure if he would cry or not. If this were any other memory, maybe she would have asked something about it.  
But she felt it appropriate to leave Link with his thoughts.

And although she didn’t say anything, she did move her hand onto his lap, gently grasping his knee. And Link responded, moving to her hand to clutch it tightly.  
Surprised by the speed of Link’s response she moved her other hand over his, so her grip was enclosing Link’s’ hand entirely. Slowly she started to lean into him, placing her head on his shoulder. 

She had done this to him – she had made him lose his family, his friends. Everything.  
At least she could remember her family – but living in a world where he did not know any of his seemed unbearable.   
She needed to be patient with him now more than ever.   
This was his moment, and she would stay here with him all night if she needed too – even if they said nothing.

It was the very least she could do.


End file.
